CARE IN THE HOME

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Conference
2016 National Retired Members Conference
Date
10 June 2016
Decision
Carried as Amended

Conference deplores the continued use of the 15 minute slots used by social care providers and others who provide care in the home for elderly and vulnerable people.

Conference notes the UNISON report, Suffering Alone at Home, issued as part of the Save Care Now Campaign in January 2016 which included the result of a survey of home care workers. A majority said they had been given just fifteen minutes for visits including personal care sometimes to service users they had never met before.

The 15 minutes is cut down by travel time of the persons delivering the care and the minutes left (often paid for by individuals) are so eroded that there is little time for the actual caring let alone any conversation with the sometimes very lonely and ill people. It is insufficient and the practice should be discontinued and thought given by those concerned to a fairer system suited to meet the needs of clients. (See note – amendment submitted referred to 1st not 2nd paragraph)

Conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to liaise with the NEC, Local Government Service Group Executive, National Home Care Forum and all other agencies involved with care in the home with a view to bringing about a change to the current system and to continue to support UNISON’s Save Care Now campaign.

(Conference instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee to liaise with the NEC, and all other agencies involved with care in the home with a view to changing the basis of client contact from that of time slots to a system designed to meet the client’s individual needs.

In addition, Conference affirms its continuing support for UNISON’s Save Our Local Services (SOS) campaign and the Ethical Care Charter.