One in six complex needs care homes are managerless
Neil Puffett
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
A former government minister has called for urgent action to be taken after it emerged that more than one in six care homes for children with complex needs do not have a manager.
Statistics obtained from the Care Quality Commission by Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow, a former care minister in the coalition government, show there are 25 care homes for children with health and care needs operating without a registered manager.
This makes up 17 per cent of the total 147 registered care homes for children under the age of 18 with complex needs.
“It’s shocking that so many vulnerable children are living in homes that don’t have the right staff in place to ensure they are getting the best standards of care,” Burstow said.
“Good care home managers set the tone for the staff.
“They can make the difference between having a place a child can call home and an institution called a home.
“These figures demand action to ensure that registered managers are urgently recruited and that their role is recognised and valued.”
Natasha Finlayson, chief executive of The Who Cares Trust, said the figures give "real cause for concern" because they relate to the most vulnerable of children.
"It’s hard to see how the highest standards of care and a culture that supports that can be sustained in a home without a manager," she said.
Burstow, who in September published a report with think-tank Demos on the future of residential care, has previously called for a “revolution” to drive up standards and dramatically improve care.
The report argued that residential care has a central role to play in meeting the challenges facing the health and care sector and needs to be recognised as an equal partner.
