Domiciliary care in Warwickshire
Domiciliary care, commonly known as home care, holds a pivotal role in enabling individuals to maintain their independence within the familiar surroundings of their home. In Warwickshire, the provision of domiciliary care is strong with a buoyant market and experienced providers. However, it is not without its set of challenges. These challenges encompass the timely and consistent delivery of care services, the necessity to tailor care to individual needs, the recruitment and retention of a qualified workforce, and the constraints posed by financial resources.
Ensuring the affordability of care whilst upholding high quality is a cornerstone of Warwickshire’s commitment to fulfilling its Care Act responsibilities. Affordable care not only upholds the quality of services but also alleviates financial burdens on individuals and the local council. Moreover, affordable care promotes inclusivity and equal access, benefiting diverse backgrounds by providing sustainable, diverse, and inclusive services that meet the needs of its residents.
Alongside the council’s commitment to quality, our Commissioning and Quality Assurance teams continue to collaborate closely with Domiciliary Care providers through ongoing communication, visits and access to training to support providers to improve quality of their services.
We will continue to work closely with commissioned providers to drive quality improvement through our ‘See, Hear and Act’ approach through which we gather and triangulate intelligence from multiple sources to identify any quality themes or concerns. Where concerns are identified we undertake quality assurance activity to understand these in more detail and where necessary support improvements through Service Improvement Plans (SIP).
Significant concerns are escalated to Service Escalation Panel (SEP) where remedial actions are discussed, agreed and monitored. Remedial actions could include restrictions on admissions to the service until sufficient improvements have been evidenced and sustained.
The council believes that ongoing collaboration with providers is indispensable. Such partnerships facilitate the formulation of strategies that enhance affordability, address the increasing demand for care, and align with the finite resources available for adult social care within the council’s purview. This collaborative approach not only benefits the service delivery but also fosters a strong, sustainable partnership between the council and the market.