Shropshire Council says no one will be left without care as county faces staff shortages

Shropshire Council has said it is working with providers on a recruitment campaign and trying to free up resources by focusing on keeping people out of hospital and residential care where possible.

It comes after Skills for Care’s annual workforce report last week revealed that around 6.8 per cent of social care roles were unfilled in 2020/21, or 105,000 vacancies across the country on any given day.

Councillor Ruth Houghton, who represents Bishop’s Castle, raised the issue at a meeting of the council’s cabinet.

In a question submitted to the portfolio holder for health and adult social care, Councillor Simon Jones, she also asked for assurance that care staff working in the county were not being underpaid.

Councillor Houghton’s question, read by Liberal Democrat group leader David Vasmer, said: “Given the recent media coverage on the recruitment issues facing the care sector, what is Shropshire Council doing to ensure that vulnerable, disabled and older people in Shropshire continue to receive good quality, person centred care and that staff are fairly remunerated for providing this care and support?”

Councillor Jones’s response, read by Councillor Dean Carroll, said the “national crisis” was being felt in Shropshire but that the council was doing all it could to combat the issue.

Councillor Carroll said: “Shropshire is no different and is also experiencing workforce pressures impacting our ability to place people in a timely way to more suitable services within the community that best meets their assessed needs.

“The current rates Shropshire pays are comparable with neighbouring authorities and certainly the highest in the West Midlands for domiciliary care to support people to remain at home.

“It is important to note that no one is left without care.”

Councillor Carroll said the council was working with employers to attract more staff to the sector.

He said: “We are working with our health and care partners and the wider council regarding a robust recruitment campaign to drive the message to the market place regarding engaging people with the right values and skills to seek employment in the sector, seeking opportunities to work with education and apprentice schemes to attract workers to care and putting the value back into care.”

He also set out some of the measures the council has in place to enable people to keep living as independently as possible.

Councillor Carroll said: “The council is also working with partners to prevent admission into hospital and/or social care through a variety of methods including focus on reablement, strength based practice, information and advice, linking people to their communities, social prescribing any activities that improve wellbeing.

“The council also has some pilot schemes on technology which is proving to reduce the need for care so we can target resources elsewhere.

“The council has a winter plan which also has commissioned support from the voluntary and community sector to support people to get home or remain home.”