Homecare commissioning under the microscope

Homecare commissioning practices have come under fire after three out of five local authorities admitted to contracting visits lasting just 15 minutes, something the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADASS) claimed were fully justified’ and fully adequate’. The Equality and Human Rights Commission, however, linked homecare commissioning, particularly the time and task model, directly to the abuse and neglect of older people, calling for local authorities to publish their costings and ensure all workers contractually receive the National Minimum Wage, including the time when they travel between clients. The heated debate started after charity Leonard Cheshire published a report that argued all care should be delivered in at least 30-minute units of time. One of the report’s more worrying findings was 8% of councils’ commissioned 15-minute visits for washing or bathing tasks.