Dozens of Notts care posts to be made permanent to support discharge from hospital

The move means dozens of staff working as support workers, therapists and care officers will be given fixed posts.

The temporary roles, which are currently filled by temporary council contracts and agency staff, were first approved in December 2021, ‘in order to support increased numbers of people requiring support to return home after a stay in hospital’.

Nottinghamshire Council proposed to make a total of 53 posts permanent past March 2022 – and asked NHS Nottinghamshire clinical commissioning group, which delivers local hospital and community NHS services, to fund the plans.

The CCG has only agreed to partially fund the new posts.

Members of the council’s adult social care and public health committee have now approved spending £1,991,233 on the plans.

It follows bed shortages in hospitals due to a lack of space in care homes, or lack of social care provision.

It means hospital beds are being ‘blocked’ by patients well enough to go home, but who cannot leave until safe care is in place.

Council reports show the risks in not making the roles permanent would be ‘people remain delayed in hospital longer, after they are well enough to return home’, which could lead to hospitals not having enough capacity.

Delays

Council documents stated: “Delays leaving hospital and moves into short-term residential care, instead of directly home, means people lose more of their independent living skills and confidence to live at home.

“In turn, this means more people will require higher levels of support for longer.”

Coun David Martin, member for Selston, said: “You can clearly see from the level of people we are trying to sustain employment for just how important this is.

“We can’t support this enough, because it helps people’s lives when they find themselves in hospital through no fault of their own.”

Coun Paul Henshaw, member for Mansfield West, said: “We know there is a problem in recruitment in relation to care workers.

“How are we going to address that problem in relation to recruitment and retention of support staff?”

Sue Batty, council ageing well community services director, said: “It is positive we have a decision on partial funding, because it means people will stay in their jobs.”

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