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Update on the impact of 'Modernisation' (16 May 06)
- Residential, domiciliary, and day care
- Business Improvement Group (BIG)
- from the Joint Consultative Committee - 9 May 06
Residential, Domiciliary, and Day Care
In April 2006 Devon's elected leaders voted to outsource all residential homes including 'elderly & mentally infirm' (EMI), rehabilitation and intermediate care, as well as domiciliary care and day care.
Unlike the first five homes there are no other options therefore there is not the requirement for a 90 day consultation period.
All residents in the homes will receive a letter informing them what is happening. (Not so the Staff... ).
During the week beginning 15 May 06 adverts will be placed in local and national papers inviting companies to provide expressions of interest in the remaining twenty one residential homes and domiciliary care. Companies will be able to tender for the residential homes and domiciliary care homes as a single package, or as two separate packages.
No information on day care as yet.
Residential care - paid / unpaid breaks.
We have been given prior notice that the smoking issue has uncovered an inconsistency across the directorate with:
- Staff not receiving unpaid breaks
- Staff working 25 hour shifts.
Staff having to work longer hours, without additional pay to allow for an unpaid break.
This will be applied to all workers not just smokers.There could also be a change of shift patterns, in particular the 25 hour shift.
We will continue to update you on this issue
Business Improvement Group (BIG)
The purpose of this group is to oversee the reviewing and streamlining of Business Support processes. With the overall remit of initially saving on time, money and ultimately jobs.
There is a Business Improvement Group webpage which can be viewed on the following site:
-
www4.devon.gov.uk/private/socserve/big/bighome.html (opens in a new window - as this link is to the County Council intranet, it can only be viewed if you're now on a County Council PC)
Work currently being looked at:
Broker Team pilot for South Hams / West Devon based at Combe Royal.
The aim of the pilot is to assess the feasibility of introducing a Personal Care Broker role, thereby separating the assessment of need from the arranging of services, including desk top reviews. It will test the feasibility of undertaking support activities remote from the point of origin. The roles of administration and finance will be combined. They will also be looking at commissioning other services. Day care including transport. Residential and nursing placements, meals service? County wide as from July 2006. Purpose to free up Care management, RIC, and Finance Time.
Linked with this is a Workload Measurement Questionnaire. How much time has this saved Care Managers & Referral and Iinformation Co-ordinators?
Non-visiting assessments for Adult Services.
- Who will do them, where will they be done?
- Can this be done remote from point of origin, Contact Centre, Central Help Desk?
- Is this a merging of care direct and referral co-ordinator roles?
View and Vary project
A process of imputing manually the actual service provided to clients as opposed to what is contracted .This can be done electronically and some providers have requested this.
If this is agreed it will mean a reduction in both Domicilliary Care clerks and Client Finances time.
Remember: Business Support need to save one million pounds.
Adult & Community Services - 'Modernisation'
At the Modernisation Joint Consultative Committee on Tuesday 9 May 06 we were informed that:
Management Restructure
The 30 days consultation period for the interim Management restructure started 9 May 06.
There are sixty one staff involved; forty six are Devon County Council staff - the remaining 14 have Health contracts.
Ten posts are unchanged and these staff for the interim period will be slotted in.
This results in 51 people applying for 28 posts.However it is likely that this figure will be reduced by those who have applied for voluntary redundancy via the corporate exercise.
Staffing Reductions
The Care Management staffing budget has to save £1million (half a million by October).Locality managers were taking their proposals on how to manage the reductions to Strategic Management Group on 10 May 06.
It is hoped that this will be managed initially by not filling vacant posts.
Business Support
Savings of £1million are also being sort from Business Support Services, by next April.