Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Adult Services.

The report provides information on the current challenges facing the adult social care workforce in Stockport across the whole sector and gives an analysis of the impact of workforce pressures on the supply of care and support in Stockport.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Anne Barlow by email: anne.barlow@stockport.gov.uk or Mihaela Hegarty by email: mihaela.hegarty@stockport.gov.uk

Representatives of the Director of Adult Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting information on the current challenges facing the adult social care workforce in Stockport across the whole sector and providing an analysis of the impact of workforce pressures on the supply of care and support in Stockport.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         In response to a question in relation to the size of the adult social care workforce in Stockport and number of vacancies, Members were advised that there were over 7,000 employees across Stockport working in adult social care which included the care market and there were 54 vacancies across the service out of a total of 652 vacancies across the council.

·         Members requested additional information about the Tameside trial in relation to the tasks undertaken by home care staff under the supervision of district nurses.

·         In response, it was commented that the trial in Tameside was considering the parts of the district nurses roles that home care staff could be responsible for to alleviate pressure. It was noted that there were questions and challenges around how this would affect the pay for the social care market. The outcome of the trial would be shared across the Greater Manchester authorities via the Social Care Partnership.

·         In relation to the various initiatives seeking to support retention of care and support workers in Stockport, it was queried whether data was available and how these initiatives were being monitored and measured.

·         In response, it was commented that there had been a recent recruitment fair at the Town Hall where ten home support workers were recruited as a direct result. In addition, there was ongoing work with Stockport College offering work trials, jump start programmes, engagement to encourage young people to consider adult social care as a career and work around retention such including a career development and talent manage programme.

·         Commented on the importance of fair pay but recognised that other factors such as working conditions impacted on recruitment and retention.

·         Members requested additional information around the secondment initiatives. In response, it was commented that not all employees had management aspirations but may want to stay within an organisation and continue to grow and develop. Secondment provided the opportunity for employees to try other work areas and had the potential to increase retention.

·         In response to a question in relation to the parity of esteem between NHS and adult social care careers, it was commented that there was an issue around image of NHS and adult social care careers and the service was exploring options to ensure that adult social care was viewed as a viable career and strengthening the engagement and branding around this.

·         It was requested that a six month update item relating to workforce and wellbeing across adult social care including the progress made be programmed into the Scrutiny Committee’s work programme.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.