Agenda item

Report of the Group Director of People

The Group Director of People submitted a report (previously circulated) to inform Members of the outcome of the quality standards assessment for 2020-22 and the level of compliance against the quality standards will determine the fee levels for the current year.

It was reported that the current agreement for the provision of Residential Care for Adults and Older People with a Mental Health Problem commenced 1 April 2015 and will remain in place until 31 March 2023 due to an extension of the Agreement agreed by all of the providers.

It was also reported that the Covid-19 pandemic which resulted in a national lockdown on 23 March 2020 had a significant impact on the care home sector and the monitoring visits into care homes was postponed and an alternative process was developed.

The Committee were informed that there had been an improvement in the number of homes who had achieved an A Grade, with 15/19 (79 per cent) achieving an A Grade compared to 11/19 (61 per cent) in 2019; no homes achieved less than eight standards which was an improvement on 2019, 4/19 (21 per cent); and overall, all but one of the previous A Graded homes had maintained this grade and five homes had improved on previous gradings.

Members enquired about the reasons for two Care Homes achieving two grades higher and how the issue with nutrition was being addressed in Care Homes; and expressed some concern about self-assessment and were advised about the mechanism in place for the local authority to amend a self-assessment grading, if required.

RESOLVED – That the information provided within the submitted report be noted.