The continued commitment of health and care leaders to the wellbeing of care home residents has been reaffirmed – as formal consultation on the future of Dewar House and McClymont House begins.
At a special meeting on 18 October, South Lanarkshire’s integration joint board (IJB) agreed to now proceed with consultation on its overall sustainability and value programme. This is part of its efforts to address a multi-million pound recurrent funding shortfall for health and social care.
Building on the IJB’s strong track record of community engagement and its commitment to applying best practice, an independent advisory panel will be established to oversee the overall consultation programme.
As part of that effort, a targeted consultation exercise will be undertaken in respect of Dewar House and McClymont House – also under the oversight of the independent advisory panel. Professor Soumen Sengupta, chief officer of South Lanarkshire IJB, said the safety and wellbeing of residents will continue to be ensured.
“First and foremost, I would like to say that I do understand why the future of these two care homes has generated significant public interest and for those directly involved, anxiety and worry.
“We have a duty of care to the residents of our care homes and this is a responsibility that we will continue to discharge appropriately throughout the consultation process and beyond.
Lesley McDonald, Chair of the IJB stated that the work of the advisory panel will be focused, meaningful and impartial.
She added: “In order to ensure integrity of process and eventual decision-making, the consultation advisory panel will be chaired by a community representative. To reinforce its independence, the membership of the advisory panel will neither include individuals who are voting members on the IJB or elected members of South Lanarkshire Council, nor those who belong to or represent groups with an interest in the specific proposals who we will be consulting with.”
IJB members have been assured that a detailed consultation process, separate from previous exercises, will consider viewpoints and suggested alternatives, including the future provision of care at these two residential care homes.
Professor Sengupta, added: “We have been forthright about the unprecedented funding challenges we are faced with for many months now. While this is not a situation of our making, we have a responsibility to make best use of the public funding entrusted to us in the face of eye-watering cost pressures and a frankly brutal budget gap. My team and I remain committed to doing our utmost to protecting vital supports for the most vulnerable and those at most risk across our communities.”
The consultation process regarding Dewar House and McClymont House will run through to February next year, with a report being presented to the IJB for full scrutiny, debate and decision.
The engagement process – key steps explained :
• National Planning with People guidance states that ‘integration joint boards have a statutory duty to involve people and communities in the planning and development of care services and in decisions that will significantly affect how services are run.’ It also advises that ‘community engagement must be relevant, meaningful, and have a clearly defined focus.’
• South Lanarkshire IJB (following the current consultation) will consider the future of residential care services provided at Dewar House, Hamilton, and McClymont House, Lanark.
• In line with guidance, officers will consult with the residents in both care homes, their relatives/next of kin, the staff working there (involving the Trades Unions).
• Colleagues in third sector/community groups play a key role in supporting people at home to avoid loneliness and isolation, so they will also be involved in the consultation process.
• Individual parties are now being contacted directly, and details of suitable venues, times, and dates will be arranged, ensuring the needs of those being consulted are met.
• In line with advice from Healthcare Improvement Scotland – Community Engagement (HIS-CE), this consultation will be overseen by an independent consultation advisory panel.
• Last month, IJB members approved an overall sustainability and value programme to address a year-on-year funding shortfall of £37.8 million. Separate plans will return to the IJB, providing necessary time for officers to review current service provision and propose further transformational changes and associated reductions in current spending.
• Although their initial input will be to the Dewar House and McClymont House consultations, this panel will also advise on the overall sustainability and value programme.
• The panel’s remit will be to oversee the development and implementation of a consultation plan, in line with Planning with People guidance, ensuring a focused, meaningful and impartial process.
Brutally challenging times
• The broader financial position is well-publicised and not confined to South Lanarkshire.
• Factors include national financial pressures, often fuelled by significant inflation increases across all areas of spending.
• Our current position aligns with the wider national context explained in Audit Scotland’s integration joint boards financial analysis 2020/21, issued in June 2022. The national auditor states that IJBs have reached a point where significant transformation will be needed to ensure the long-term financial sustainability and quality of services individuals receive.
