Osiris Training

One of the largest providers of private residential care for older people is at serious risk of going bust. The government is asked to intervene.

 A private residential hospital providing residential care for people with a learning disability is exposed on national television for routinely abusing residents.

 Questions are asked in the House of Commons as the care commission responsible for inspecting homes admits it failed to protect residents.

What is the common link? The Private care sector!

Many Local Authorities no longer provide residential care for older people or people with a learning disability. Why? Because they were expected to compete with the private sector on price and couldn’t. Price also meant small homes could not compete, 12 beds may be cosy but 60 is cost effective.

At a time when LA’s did not have the money to build new homes the private sector seduced many with their purpose built units with en suite facilities, walk in showers, fitted wardrobes and fitted carpets and a television and phone in every room just like a hotel. And of course the quality of care would be regularly inspected.

L.A. budget cuts meant they did not up rate care home fees in line with riseing costs, staffing cuts in the reorganised inspection service resulted in a “light touch” and now the reports of abuse, weak management, poorly trained inadequately supervised staff.

The private sector once a choice is in many places the only option. The private sector once offered something different for those who could afford it now it provides indifferent care for all. So is it time to recognise the folly of turning care into a business and reinvent public sector care?

Blair McPherson author of Equipping managers for an uncertain future published by www.russellhouse.co.uk

The current harsh financial climate will force managers not only to implement decisions that are deeply unpopular with staff and service users but to take actions which they have advised against.  May be you argued that freezing all staffing vacancies was counterproductive and would result in greater use of expensive agency staff or increased overtime. Perhaps you made the point that deleting all vacant management posts would lead to hugely different size teams bearing no relation to workload or responsibility. You pointed out that reducing HR staff and transferring responsibility for the recruitment process to managers would mean managers would be involved in more paper work and would not be the best use of their time. You challenged the assumptions behind increasing charges or closing facilities. Your concerns were acknowledged but your arguments rejected.   

A managers leadership qualities come to the fore front when facing the challenge of implementing restructurings that will result in redundancies, changing working practises that will lead to longer hours and increased workloads or saving money by reducing services, increasing waiting list and a programme of closures. In such circumstances it is easier not to take responsibility but refer up and then be able to disown the outcome. Don’t blame me I didn’t make the decision. Don’t ask me to explain it, you know as much as me. At best your staff will think you have no influence and are kept in the dark at worst they will think you are lying and knew in  what was being discussed and may even have suggested some of the changes. Either way you will have lost their respect and you will find it a lot harder to get their cooperation. If as a result you can’t bring about these changes without dragging in your manager to every difficult meeting with staff what confidence will they have in you? Your manager is not stupid when they talk to your staff they will soon discover how well the plans have been “sold” and whether they have been” set up” to take the blame.

I am not saying that you have to like or even agree with the decisions you are expected to implement. You are your entitled to have your say, to suggest alternatives even to point out the implications. Your staff would expect you to and for your own self respect you would have wanted to make your views known to your manager. But management is not just about implementing decisions you agree with. What good does it do your staff to know you don’t support these changes? How does it help them come to terms with what’s going to happen? Good mangers show leadership and inspire their staff to find ways to make it work. What’s the alternative?

Blair McPherson author of Equipping managers for an uncertain future and People management in a harsh financial climate both published by www.russellhouse.co.uk