Anchor chief executive urges care sector to "press for change" on reform

Jane Ashcroft the chief executive of Anchor, one of the UK’s leading care home providers, has written to carehome.co.uk expressing concern for the Government’s commitment to wide-scale care reform, after yesterday’s Queen’s Speech was perceived as addressing peripheral issues only.

Ms Ashcroft writes: “This week, our Prime Minister, David Cameron received a strongly-worded letter backed by 85 signatories, including Anchor, urging him to urgently review the care funding crisis that is rapidly spinning out of control. Depressingly, while the Queen’s Speech included a reference to a draft Bill to ‘modernise adult care and support’, it gave little comfort that the much-needed funding reforms will be given the priority they need.

“The lack of action has a tangible knock-on effect, with an estimated 150,000 to 220,000 care workers working for less than the minimum wage. “The vast majority do their jobs willingly, with compassion, enthusiasm and motivation. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has urged providers not to bid for contracts where local councils offer insufficient funds and it is a reflection of the care funding crisis that comments of this kind are being made.

“Anchor believes that people need encouragement and practical pointers to plan for their care and this, coupled with more State support, is the only way to ensure care workers of the future will be paid appropriately.

“At Anchor, our people are paid above minimum wage. Care workers do such an important job and we would like to reward their dedication to excellence in care by paying them much more. But the government needs to do more by adopting the Dilnot Commission’s recommendations on care funding.

“However, increasing wages is just the beginning. Engaging staff at all levels is crucial to the way that we, and other providers, can help influence quality standards in care. We recently won a Golden Hedgehog Award for our work to engage our colleagues, communicate our vision to them and ensure they play a part in shaping our organisation going forward. We set up focus groups with colleagues from across the business to co-develop Anchor’s values.

“What did they tell us? That our values should focus on us being personally accountable, reliable, respectful, honest and straightforward – and these are the values we have since adopted. We then developed the Anchor Way; a simple to digest roadmap that explains where the organisation had been, the goals we are working towards and the challenges we are overcoming.

“We know we have much more to do. Even if the Prime Minister does listen to the many organisations which have expressed their view on the funding crisis, State support will continue to be extremely tight. It is crucial that we continue to press for change.

“Anchor research found one in four are unaware that care is means-tested yet the current broken system means many people face an almost limitless drain on their savings.

“A failure to reform the system now would be nothing less than a betrayal of the public. The older people of today and tomorrow deserve better than the current shambolic funding system and we call on Mr Cameron to act."

Anchor is a registered charity and runs 99 UK care homes, together with an extensive range of housing and support services.

Image: chief executive Jane Ashcroft courtesy of Anchor