North Tyneside home care 'at point of crisis', report warns

The council was warned the home care service was at breaking point

Provision of care for people living in their own homes is "at a point of crisis", a council report has warned.

The North Tyneside Council review found the number of people waiting for home care had doubled since before the pandemic and providers were "not able to meet the current level of demand".

The report said care jobs were skilled and challenging but "low paid and undervalued" and seen as unattractive.

It said there were "significant concerns about the current situation".

The council's cabinet was told that during the pandemic there had been an initial reduction in the number of people requesting home care packages as people sought to minimise social contact.

But about 170 people were now on the waiting list, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Carers 'struggling'

Some home care providers told the report's authors they received no responses at all to their job advertisements.

Delays in disclosure and barring service (DBS) checks were also leading to successful applicants finding other jobs while they waited, others said.

The report acknowledged waiting lists were creating additional pressures on unpaid carers.

It said many had taken on more responsibilities during the pandemic and were "struggling to get help now they need it".

Cabinet member for adult social care Anthony McMullen said the report recommended further reviews of the commissioning process, further support for recruitment, retention and training of carers and support for those receiving home care.

The council would decide what action to take after another report in June, he said.