Memorandum by Age Concern England
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES
(HSS 34)
8. RECRUITMENT/RETENTION
OF STAFF
8.1 The continuity of staff providing services
is extremely important to many older people and their carers.
There is a need to recognise that some older users may regard
staff continuity as a measure of the quality of any service. However,
if such measures are to be met, then there is a need to reconsider
any decisions to employ staff who provide services on short-term
contracts.
8.2 Concerns over continuity of staff may
have particular implications for the use of independent sector
residential and nursing homes, where turnover is often reported
as high by relatives of those in homes. In the Independent Sector
Workforce Survey 1996 turnover was found to be highest in homes
for elderly and mentally ill people with recruitment difficulties
being reported and more agency staff being used. There may be
a need for purchasers to work together with providers to seek
reductions in turnover, and to seek the views of residents, their
relatives and friends, as to whether they would consider this
to be a measure of quality.
8.3 Age Concern has come across several
examples where local authority has chosen to change the agency
providing non-residential services under contract, on the grounds
that the same caring tasks can be carried out more cheaply by
another agency. Case law has established (R v Essex County
Council, ex parte Bucke 1997) that it was not unlawful for
a local authority to change to a cheaper service. This could mean
that an authority could tend to ignore matters such as continuity
of staff, concentrating instead on actual costs. In times of budgetary
constraints, authorities may therefore seek to change agencies
on a lawful basis, but not in a way which necessarily pursues
best practice from users' and carers' perspectives.
8.4 Age Concern believes that:
— retaining staff and thus maintaining
continuity of care should be a key aim of continuing health and
social services care; nor should contracts be changed without
plans to support the development of relationships between clients
and new care staff.
| 
