New action group fights ‘bullying’ contract amid fears for elderly care home residents

North Wales care home operators have accused some local authorities of  “bullying tactics” as they unite to fight a contract threatening elderly residents’ care.

Providers from across the region have formed a new action group to challenge a proposed Pre-Placement Agreement headed up by Denbighshire County Council on behalf of the North Wales Regional Partnership Board.

They claim the contract unfairly favours public bodies and fails to guarantee “fair and sustainable” fees for independent care and nursing homes.

According to the group, they are being pressured to sign the complex, 90-page document by early December despite it being issued just a few weeks ago.

The providers are calling for a six-month extension to scrutinise the terms properly and want implementation to be delayed until the beginning of the new financial year on April 1 to allow time for a fair agreement to be negotiated.

According to the group, the other reason behind setting it up was the growing North-South in relation to fees and the need to stand up for providers in North Wales.

Some care homes in South East Wales get up to £17,000 per resident, per year more than those in North Wales for providing exactly the same level of publicly funded care that’s subject to exactly the same regulations.

Kevin Jones, Regional Manager of Vshans Care which has five homes in Conwy, warned residents were being “badly short-changed” by what he described as a “totally flawed” document.

He said the lack of a clear methodology for calculating fees and any guarantee of annual increases could undermine providers’ ability to maintain standards and invest in their homes.”

“We need time to ensure the agreement  is robust enough and that it’s meeting the needs of the independent providers  and that it is giving us safety and security to carry on what we are doing looking after the vulnerable, elderly population of North Wales,” he said.

“The feeling is immensely strong which is why we have come together as a group of care providers who share the same values and vision of delivering excellent care.

“It we don’t stand up and be counted on this issue we will be letting down the vulnerable people who are at the heart of what we do every day.”

Kevin Edwards, the Managing Director of Meddyg Care, which has care homes in Criccieth, Porthmadog and Rhyl along with a domiciliary care company in Gwynedd, believes the proposed deal is unfair and warned the rushed timetable could have serious consequences for the wider health and social care system.

He said: “They are trying to push it through with indecent haste  at the worst time of the year, in December,  when providers are busy and hospitals are struggling because of winter pressures.

“If there is no agreement in place there is no rationale for us to take placements and that’s going to have a knock on effect on the wider health and social care system.

“There’s a tremendous amount of anger out there from providers who don’t appreciate the bullying tactics by some local authorities.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Ceri Roberts, a Director of Cariad Care which has two homes in Porthmadog and Criccieth.

She said: “They have been trying to implement a Pre Placement Agreement for the past 15 years but the problem with this is that it is very much biased towards the local authorities and the health board – and not the providers.

“If we have a Pre Placement Agreement in place that is fair to all parties then that is a good thing for everybody because, importantly, a fair agreement will provide protection for the people for whom we provide care.”

Steffan Robbins, Managing Director of the Orme View Residential and Dementia Care Home in Llandudno, also believes the contract is fundamentally flawed.

He said: “Operating in the care sector is extremely challenging  and fair, sustainable fees are essential if we want to protect care provision for future generations.

“While we have constructive relationships with a number of local authorities, my concern is that the proposed agreement doesn’t provide sufficient clarity about how fees will be reviewed each year to reflect the actual costs of delivering care.

“The National Framework for the Commissioning of Care and Support in Wales places clear obligations on commissioners to understand the full costs of care, work collaboratively with providers and follow transparent processes when setting fair and sustainable fees. Contracts must also include appropriate mechanisms to account for inflation.

“I have concerns about whether the proposed agreement, in its current form, fully reflects those requirements. There is nothing wrong with a regional approach, provided it properly considers the different circumstances and costs of delivering care across individual services.

“An unrealistic fee is simply unsustainable. We’ve already seen care homes close across North Wales, with financial pressures contributing to the challenges facing the sector.

“Without fair and sustainable fees, we risk seeing further reductions in care home capacity at precisely the time when demand is increasing.

“Ultimately, this is about our parents, grandparents and loved ones, who will suffer if we cannot maintain a sustainable care sector.”