English Community Care Association

The English Community Care Association (ECCA) is a registered charity that campaigns to support the work of independent care providers, assisting the role of care professionals with a unified voice that can help inform national policy.

On Wednesday 7 November, the association is hosting a conference to debate the Care and Support White Paper (published last month to mark out the Government’s strategy for care reform). Given the title of ‘White Paper: Right Paper?’ the event, to be attended by Care Services minister Paul Burstow, marks a significant milestone in the role of this increasing influential care charity. carehome.co.uk takes a look at the association’s major contributions in 2012, as well as its key priorities in safeguarding the future of the care sector in England.

ECCA's vision

ECCA was formed with a commitment to becoming a national voice for care providers large and small. In delivering this objective, the association adheres to a five-point vision aiming to ensure that:

o The value of high quality independent care services is understood by all, not just service users and their families

o Care services are properly funded and state funding is at a level which meets the real costs of providing high quality care

o Providers are respected, treated fairly and have a voice in the strategic direction of social and health care services

o Users have choice and the flexibility to select the care that best suits their requirements

o Independent sector staff have appropriate training, fair pay and career structures in place.

Dementia Challenge

Launched by the Prime Minister in January, ‘Dementia 2012: A national challenge’ sets out its objectives as addressing the quality of dementia care, to make communities more dementia friendly and to increase public understanding of a condition that demographics predict will see a doubling of diagnosis rates in England in the next thirty years.

Addressing the challenge, PM David Cameron summed up the task: “We should remember there is more to the person than the disease they are suffering with… This is a disease, it is not a natural part of ageing. Just as we’re trying to crack cancer, so we need to put research in to cracking the problem of dementia: early identification, proper treatments, proper cures; that is the challenge.”

Looking to ensure the Dementia Challenge benefits from its care sector presence, ECCA has been actively engaging with care providers to strive for long-term and innovative dementia care solutions, as well as playing an advisory role in the ‘Care and Support Compact’ that saw ten leading bodies sign up to a pledge to adhere to and promote the Strategy.

Mr Green comments: “This compact sets out some clear measures on which we as a sector want to be judged. I hope that many more independent care providers will sign up to this compact and will affirm their commitment to improving services.

“The independent sector is doing what it can to improve care services and what we need is for commissioners and the government to respond to our lead by establishing a long-term and sustainable funding and commissioning environment.”

Transparency and Quality

Perhaps the key care themes emerging from ECCA’s close work with care providers this year are those of transparency and quality. As the care sector faces up to the challenges of reform, ECCA is desperate to see that care homes embrace the ‘Transparency Initiative’, which the association sees as vital in bridging the gap between service user and provider.

Martin Green believes there are a great deal of positive developments already that the care sector as a whole should not be afraid to embrace: “Large social care providers have been leading the way in developing and improving the quality of data about social care services. This data is being delivered in an accessible way, so that people who use services have enough information to make informed choices and can understand and differentiate the quality of care.”

Notable companies to add their names to the transparency commitment so far include Saga, Four Seasons Healthcare, Barchester Healthcare, Bupa, Anchor Trust, the Good Care Group, Westminster Homecare and Methodist Homes Association.

This autumn will see a unique batch of data published (compiled in collaboration with National Care Forum [NCF] and the UK Home Care Association [UKHCA]) that will offer a great depth of previously-unavailable information to clients regarding service quality, including figures such as staff turnover, ratios of trained to untrained staff, service compliments and complaints, and the percentages of residents who have suffered falls or developed pressure ulcers.

White Paper and November Conference

On the publication of the White Paper, ECCA chief executive Martin Green concurred with the reaction of the majority of care sector experts who were concerned that an agreement on the financing issue had been delayed until next year’s Spending Review, saying:

“We cannot hide our disappointment that the issue of funding has not been clearly resolved. Social Care is going into crisis, with ever increasing need and shrinking resources. What we needed from the White Paper was a clear direction on funding, which would give care providers the confidence to plan and develop their services to meet current needs and future aspirations.”

Although the charity also responded positively to the overall direction: “There are many things in the White Paper that are commendable and will improve social care, making it more fit for purpose in the 21st-century.”

To be held at the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, ECCA aims for those attending the ‘White Paper: Right Paper’ conference to benefit from debating crucial modernisation and to hear from one of the key Government ministers at the centre of the reforms.

“The requirement for serious reform of the current system is more pressing than ever, so the content of the White Paper will be the subject of close scrutiny. Care providers are working hard to maintain high service standards but their task is becoming ever more difficult, so we look forward to hearing more from Paul Burstow about the Government’s commitment to a sustainable funding system,” Mr Green comments.

Together with a number of notable speakers, the event will also host a series of workshops and products exhibitions showcasing some of the most recent care industry innovations.

Informing Government policy will remain a key ECCA priority moving forwards, as the association aims to assist ministers in refining the objectives of approaching care legislation and ensuring that care providers of all sizes do not feel left out.

The ECCA Board is chaired by Jane Ashcroft of Anchor Trust, vice-chaired by Barchester Healthcare’s Mike Parsons, and with Voyage’s Douglas Quinn as treasurer.