BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he is planning to issue guidance on standard 27.3 of Care Homes for Older People National Minimum Standards to(a) set out the ratios of care staff to service users and (b) provide a system for calculating staff numbers required. [63816]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Department commissioned the residential forum to produce the guidance. This was published on 27 March. On the same day I issued statutory guidance to the National Care Standards Commission, under Section 6 of the Care Standards Act. The guidance sets out how the Commission should apply the regulations and standards in relation to staffing levels in care homes, to ensure that the approach to staffing levels is not rigid and that it avoids placing additional burdens on care homes.
Copies of the Residential Forum's guidance are available from:
- Social Care Association (Education) Thornton House
- Hook Road
- Surbiton
- Surrey KT6 5AN
- Tel 020 8397 1419.
My guidance to the Commission on applying the Residential Forum's guidance is available on the Department's internet website at: www.doh.gov.uk/ncsc.
§ Mr. WattsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what (1) assessment his Department has made of the impact the new care standards proposals will have on the level of care home fees; [61980]
(2) what action his Department is taking to deal with the ongoing disputes between care homes and local councils over the level of fees; and what assessment he has made of the impact of disputes between care homes and local councils on bed blocking in hospitals; [61977]
(3) if he will increase the level of funding to local councils in England for fees for care homes; [61979]
(4) if he will introduce an arbitration system for dealing with disputes over the level of fees for care homes. [61978]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Government is providing records levels of funding for social services. Resources have increased nationally by 20 per cent. in real terms between 1996–97 and 2002–03, an average real terms increase of 3 per cent. per annum. In addition, as announced on 17 April, we are increasing the resources for personal social services by an annual average of 6 per cent. in real732W terms from 2003–04 to 2005–06. Councils have been incentivised to use some of their 6 per cent. annual increases to stabilise the care home market and fund home care services for older people.
Included within these additional funds are resources provided to meet the cost care homes incur in meeting the care standards. We expect local authorities to reflect this in the fees they pay homes, as laid out in the "Building Capacity and Partnership in Care" agreement. The Department will continue to review the progress that is being made in the implementing of the agreement.
The setting of fee levels are a matter for local decision and we have no plans to intervene in local negotiations.