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ITEM EX11(ii)

Final Review Report - The Cost of Agency Care Workers.

At their meeting on 27 October 2004, members of the Social & Health Care Scrutiny Committee agreed to submit the final review report on The Cost of Agency Care Workers to the Executive, subject to a number of amendments, together with:

  • A copy of the speech on Direct Payments from Janet Mace; to be accompanied by
  • a note of the comments made by the Head of Social Care for Adults, in response to Janet Mace’s speech (listed below):

  • the Council had targets for increasing the take-up of Direct Payments in their Plans. These targets had already been achieved, then re-set;
  • officers were working with some Local Authorities who were performing much better on Direct Payments to see how this Council could further increase their take-up;
  • every Care Manager was now attending mandatory training on Direct Payments;
  • some clients did go to agencies to purchase care. Agencies needed to take this on board and sell their services directly to users;
  • officers were looking to ensure that there was not too much resource in block contracts and that resource was not tied into them; and
  • the Council would shortly be entering a new tender round during the next 2 – 3 months for the Home Support Service and would pay due regard to ensure flexibility.

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