HC-One has welcomed the publication of the Government’s social care white paper, People at the Heart of Care, on 1st December as a significant milestone for the sector. HC-One is focused on the potential that it offers to deliver greater investment in provision at all points along the care continuum, which in turn could lead to better outcomes, increased fairness, more choice and better quality.
James Tugendhat, Chief Executive Officer of HC-One, said:
“At HC-One, we want to better meet the evolving care needs of the country, and in particular the growing number of people living with dementia, as part of our mission to be the first choice care provider for families, Colleagues and commissioners.
“The principles and themes of the White Paper are in complete alignment with both our experience of providing care in the sector at a time of increased demand, complexity and pressure on supply and also our view of where investment is required to ensure the sector is fit for purpose for the changing needs of the population over the next 10 years.
“The White Paper presents an opportunity for commissioners and providers of care to come together to plan and then commission for the care needs of the community for years to come. We look forward to developing and designing the high needs, sub-acute care that some will need towards the latter end of a person’s care journey – one characterised by complexity of care needs and the need for compassionate kind care delivered by highly skilled, respected and supported Carers and Nurses.
“The commitment to the social care workforce is crucial to this and chimes with our own strategy as demonstrated by our recent announcement on pay, reward and retention which is designed to help us to attract and retain the very best people to provide high quality care to those who need care home-based nursing and dementia care, as demand for care rises.
“Similarly, the rise in the need for higher acuity care means that investment is needed in care homes themselves to make sure the environments in which we care are fit for purpose too. This is why HC-One has committed to a £54.5m refurbishment programme across over 200 of our homes.
“We welcome the acknowledgement that creating the conditions for the investment of capital needs to be part of the discussion, so we can ensure increased investment all along the care continuum. As we look to the future, it is important that the sector, Government and local partners explore how more investment can be made into the sector over the long-term.
“Crucial to the sustainability of the sector is ensuring the delivery of a fair cost of care, and we are pleased that the White Paper includes acknowledgement of local authorities working towards this.
“We welcome the sentiment that the White Paper is a starting point and will be developed and strengthened in partnership with all stakeholders. This spirit of co-design is incredibly important and gives us the opportunity to use our expertise and on-the-ground experience to shape vital aspects such as the cost of care and the post-October 2023 system changes, as well as ensuring fairness for those who use and pay for care and deliver stability and sustainability for those who provide care. We look forward to working with the Government and our commissioning partners on this going forward, and to shaping a care system that is fit for the future.
“In the immediate term though, we cannot ignore the issues that are affecting the sector today, particularly workforce and recruitment challenges, and the pressures put on the health and care systems over winter. It is important that funding and support for these pressing challenges is forthcoming so we can tackle them now, and this in turn will help efforts to build a sustainable sector for the long-term.”