Instances where adult respite care had been provided to clients in hotel accommodation

2018.03.06

2 Deputy R.R. Renouf of St. Ouen of the Minister for Health and Social Services

regarding instances where adult respite care had been provided to clients in hotel accommodation: [OQ.41/2018]

Is the Minister aware of any instances where adult respite care has been provided to clients in hotel accommodation at times when the hotel was open for normal business; and, if so, on how many occasions in the last 12 months has this occurred, how has it been funded, and what have been the reasons for it?

Senator A.K.F. Green (The Minister for Health and Social Services):

The simple answer to this question is no. There has been no occasion when adult respite care has been provided to clients in hotel accommodation at times when the hotel was open for normal business.

1. The Deputy of St. Ouen :

Is the Minister aware of how respite is delivered by agency providers, registered providers, who are approved by his department or by the Chief Minister's Department? What standards is he monitoring to ensure that such instances do not happen?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

In order to be a provider of respite care you have to be approved, as the Deputy said. So you become an approved provider and therefore are entitled to receive payment via Social Security for services that you provide. Whether you become an approved provider or not is a matter for the regulation part of the service, which as the Deputy quite rightly pointed out, more recently comes under the Chief Minister's Department. But I have no concerns about the way that they regulate and ensure that standards are upheld.

2. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade :

More specifically, has the Pomme d'Or Hotel been used to provide respite for people in Jersey? Senator A.K.F. Green:

Absolutely not.

3. Deputy G.P. Southern :

To the best of his knowledge, can the Minister deny that any deliverer of care services in the public realm has not used a hotel room in order to provide respite care to a family in need?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

I have been very cautious in my answer. No hotel has been used when the hotel has been open for normal business. However and I am being very careful here, because I do not really wish to give out information that will identify the family. However, in one case, because of particular circumstances that I am not going to describe, by agreement with the family Maison des Landes was used while it was closed. Our service provided that care in that disabled facility.

4. Deputy M. Tadier :

Is it possible that hotels other than Hotel des Landes, which is obviously a specific hotel designated for those purposes, was used without the Minister's knowledge?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

I suppose anything is possible but I asked my service and I have been advised that, to their knowledge, no hotel other than Maison des Landes has been used.

[10:00]

I have to stress again, Maison des Landes was closed at that period and they made a facility available to assist us.

5. Deputy G.P. Southern :

The Minister has received assurances from his officers that to the best of their knowledge this mechanism has not been used. Will he return to this situation and ask his officers to interrogate those people responsible for delivering respite care, whether those organisations have in fact used hotel rooms to provide such respite care?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

I have got a better idea than that: if the Member knows of something tell me and I will get it investigated. I am not going to waste officers' time on a fishing expedition.

6. Deputy G.P. Southern :

No, the Minister knows that it is not the role of question time to bring up individuals to this department. Will he answer the question? Will he go back to his Ministers and check whether those people that are responsible for delivering respite care have not used hotel rooms?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

No, I have already done that. However, if the Deputy would like to speak to me privately, give me some information, then I will have it investigated.

7. Deputy M. Tadier :

Can the Minister clarify that it is not departmental policy and that he would not be happy with such a practice going on either in rare circumstances or as a general rule?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

As a general rule, I would not want to see respite happening while the hotel is open but there are different types of respite and people make their own choices. I have no idea what the Members are talking about but I do know that my officers went the extra mile to assist a family by using Maison des Landes appropriately, with the support of ... they had a lot of support from other charities in this as well. So I do agree with people being flexible in order to support our community. But if there are particular issues that the Deputies know about, that I clearly do not know about, my officers do not, let me know and I will have it investigated.

8. Deputy M. Tadier :

Does the Minister believe that this is indicative of a lack of general respite facilities in the Island? Senator A.K.F. Green:

No, I do not because the Member is muddling up the fact that people on long-term care, and those are the ones that are generally buying respite care, it is not the only ones but those are the ones generally, get that allowance through the long-term care scheme to use an approved provider to provide respite. Respite comes in many forms. Respite comes in outings for people. Respite comes in ... they are moving into their house while the carers move out and respite comes in residential care as well. It comes in many forms and those many forms are at the request of the carers.

9. Deputy G.P. Southern :

Final supplementary probably, if I may. Does the Minister consider that use by anybody of public funds to deliver respite care by using hotels is poor, inefficient use of the fund?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

Again, I am in the dark to what the Deputy is on about, but for some people going on a holiday is respite care and if they are supported by carers in having that holiday it is appropriate. [Approbation] I am sorry, if there is a concern give me the facts and I will investigate it.

10. The Deputy of St. Ouen :

I want to try and assure the Minister, it is not the Maison des Landes situation that is the concern here but it is the use of another hotel. I am pleased to hear what the Minister has said in response to the many questions, but does the Minister accept that there is a concern among carers about the provision of respite for them? Does he accept how important it is and how much we should support these carers who save the public purse thousands of pounds annually by looking after their loved ones? We have heard this week that Children's Services are to be inspected by Ofsted, which will include children's respite services. In view of the concerns that have long been expressed about all respite services, including adults, would the Minister support an external inspection of adult respite services?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

I would be happy to discuss that with the chairman of the Scrutiny Panel. I do understand how important respite care is. As a carer myself for over 30 years, I have personal experience of that, so I do understand how it is important, how access to different types of services are important and that we should not be dictating but supporting families in getting respite.