Residential care review will miss expert views – claim

A REVIEW of residential care for older people in Wales has been criticised for not including a care sector representative on its expert team.
An advisory panel compiled by Sarah Rochira, Older People’s Commissioner in Wales, will make unannounced visits to more than 100 care homes during the review.

But Care Forum Wales, which represents 500 private sector care providers, believes the review will lack a valuable expert view from that sector, and should also consider the impact of chronic underfunding.

“Care Forum Wales is dedicated to developing and promoting best practice in social care, and the timing of this review could not be better given the Social Services Bill and the new White Paper on Regulation,” said Care Forum Wales chairman Mario Kreft MBE.

“We support the overall aims of the review. Our disappointment however, which will be shared by many providers, is that the commissioner has not included a provider expert on the main advisory panel.

“As far as we can see, no-one who has lived in, worked in, managed or owned a care home is represented. In our view, this misses the opportunity for partnership working.

“We had hoped the more enlightened approach of fully involving the sector would have been taken and it appears counter-intuitive to exclude that expertise from the discussions.”

MsRochira said said her review – into quality of life and care for older people living in residential care – will provide “extensive opportunities for all stakeholders, including care home providers and staff across Wales, to provide information and evidence.”

“However, at its heart will be the voices of older people and their families, for whom this review is being undertaken,” she said.