Assurance for Highland Care Homes welcomed
Members of Highland Council’s Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee have welcomed the assurance provided by NHS Highland that arrangements continue to be in place for the oversight and support of Care Homes in the region.
The Highland Council and NHS Highland entered into a Partnership Agreement in 2012, establishing the principle of service integration in relation to both children’s services and adult care services and setting up the lead agency model. NHS Highland are the lead agency in terms of adult social care services and are responsible for its delivery pursuant to the partnership arrangements in place.
In Highland there are currently 67 Care Homes of which 15 are NHS managed and 52 sit within the independent sector.
In the report discussed by committee members the Head of Adult Social Care with NHS Highland Simon Steer highlighted developments nationally in terms of the care and support offered to care homes and detailed the ongoing work which is carried out by NHS Highland in terms of the safe delivery of adult social care in care homes settings taking into account the current legal position in terms of guidance issued nationally.
In May the Cabinet Secretary wrote to Health Boards and Councils outlining new arrangements for the oversight and support of Care Homes. NHS Highland agreed with the Highland Council and Argyll and Bute Council to establish an oversight group with the purpose of ensuring that all of the actions arising from the letters from the Cabinet Secretary to ensure a multi-professional approach to care homes were implemented.
The Committee noted that the requirements of testing, support visits, and engagement represents a significant new area of work throughout the Covid period and agreed that the report presented by NHS Highland provided assurance that appropriate and compliant oversight is in place to ensure support of Care Homes.
Committee Chair Cllr Linda Munro said: “Members have welcomed this report presented by our Interim Executive Chief Officer for Health and Social Care and Simon Steer as we care passionately about the delivery of adult social care in Highland. The new requirements detailed in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary has lead to significant work being done to ensure everything is actioned as required.
“This assurance for service delivery within Care Homes in Highland during the COVID-19 pandemic is important and I am sure that Highland Council and NHS Highland will continue to work side by side together to deliver the best outcomes for our communities across the region.”