Homecare Independent Living

With all of the ongoing issues within the Industry my role within IHCP (Independent Health and Care Providers) as Director and representative of Domiciliary Members provides us with many challenges; The job of influencing and negotiating at departmental level and Chief Executive Trust level still continues within IHCP. At the recent IHCP annual Conference in the Tullyglass Hotel, Ballymena in October 2007 with guest speaker Mr Michael McGimpsey MLA Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the theme of Quality was prevalent and ran throughout the day. Mr McGimpsey highlighted the important role of the independent sector in providing high quality care for people in Northern Ireland. The Minister said “The Northern Ireland of the future will include an increasingly older population, with higher expectations about quality of care. As we move to meet these challenges of the future, the models of care from a previous generation simply won’t work. The shift away from traditional residential style of care towards more flexible and responsive care provided in people’s own homes and tailored to their individual needs is bound to continue.

This is good news for the Independent domiciliary market with Mr McGimpsey committed to working in partnership with the independent sector recognising the important role we play in providing care to those who need it.

A meeting is currently being rescheduled with the Minister Mr McGimpsey hopefully to occur early in the New Year.

Continuing on the theme of quality, Lord Sutherland, Chairman of The Royal Commission on Long Term Care of the Elderly opened the conference under the theme of ‘Who Cares? Who Pays?’ Colm Cunningham from the NI Dementia Centre continued with ‘Who Cares for the Vulnerable?’ RQIA’s Phelim Quinn discussed the imminent regulations and the conference ended on a positive with ‘Who Cares for the Care Staff?’

Additionally some of the work we are involved in within the Domiciliary Special Interest group of which is ongoing:

• Staff Vetting Study, POCVA and the new Access NI – new Criminal Record Checking Body which will be effective from April 2008.
• NISCC regulation of Domiciliary Care Workers
• RQIA (Regulation Quality Improvement Authority) – Registration of Domiciliary Care Agencies
• Uplift in Fees 2008 / 2009 and lobbying for in year costs recognition taking into consideration increases in minimum wage, increased holiday entitlement, costs of standards and registration, fuel costs.
• Fair Price for Care
• Regional Domiciliary Care Specification and Contract
• Procurement of Services

As one of the Directors and the representative of domiciliary members I will continue to lobby on behalf of members on all of the above and ensure Homecare is represented at all opportunities as a professional organisation who has a real appreciation for the issues affecting the industry.