Care home cuts affect quality of life
AS an employee of Guild Care at one of their care homes, I read your recent article "Restructure saves homes 'thousands' " with great interest.
Read the original article Worthing care homes "saved" here.
At the time of publishing, most of the employees, of Guild Care, were unaware of the sweeping changes planned for them!
It is apparent that the senior management team responsible for the changes have not taken into consideration the workings of individual homes.
The changes will undoubteably save a substantial amount of money.
The downside is that at any one time, only the bare minimum of staff will be on duty.
The only real losers will be the residents, whose quality of service will suffer.
The time allowed for "one on one careworker/resident" will have to go.
Many care workers and cleaners have had their working hours reduced.
Others with childcare and other responsibilities have been unable to "fit in" with the new schedules and may have to work elsewhere.
Mrs Bunnin "hopes the staff will soon adapt"; I doubt they will.
I wonder how many of the "management" have had to "adapt" to any changes; if indeed, any changes are being made at that level!
I will be doing my utmost to ensure the residents in my care do not lose out.
I just wish the management team had looked more carefully at ways of saving money before putting at risk the quality of life of "those who pay their wages".
I will be monitoring closely the feeling of my residents and you can be sure if they feel hard done by, I will be writing again!
A Guild Care employee, by email
A Guild spokeswoman replies:
Like many organisations, Guild Care has had to adjust to a changing economic climate that was not anticipated at the beginning of the last financial year.
As a charitable organisation, we have a responsibility to carefully manage our finances to ensure the services we provide to the people of Worthing and the surrounding area continue to deliver the range and quality service users have come to expect.
In response to the letter to the Herald, Suzanne Millard, deputy chief executive, said: "the senior management team held meetings for all staff on June 16 at each home to explain the staffing restructure.
"Great emphasis was placed on the need to maintain higher-than-average staffing to resident ratios than the industry standard, as we believe that the quality of care that we provide is paramount to our reputation."
We invest heavily in staff and training; three-quarters of our annual costs are spent on staff wages.
As explained in our newsletter to all employees and volunteers, and previously to the Herald, our key changes will benefit our residents through a more consistent service and approach to quality, designed around each individual's needs.
Throughout July, Suzanne Millard and the HR team have met personally with all staff to discuss the new rotas, the impact of the changes and to try to accommodate, wherever practical, people's individual needs.
Guild Care maintains a strict code of conduct and if any member of staff feels they have been "bullied" or have concerns about the care that is provided to residents, they have direct access to senior members of staff within the home and at head office.
NOTE: All letters must include a name and address which can be withheld by request.
Write in to Readers' Letters, Worthing Herald series, Cannon House, Chatsworth Road, Worthing, BN11 1NA, or email the Herald.
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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