MP Wera Hobhouse has called for the Government to do more to address the ongoing staffing crisis at care homes following a visit to Stratton House in Bath.
MP Wera Hobhouse with manager Steve Hill and residents at the care home
The MP visited Stratton House Care Home last week and was given a tour by manager Steve Hill.
While there, Ms Hobhouse met with residents Pam and Anita to plant daffodils in the garden.
The care home, first opened in the 1950s, is home to 33 people.
Residents were involved in the redesigning of the garden and every three months have input into the menu.
Pre-Covid the home welcomed around 70 volunteers a week who helped out in the garden and occasionally ran activities.
After meeting with residents, managers spoke of the difficulty in accessing funding and the impact of both Brexit and the pandemic on staff shortages.
Other issues raised include the growing cost of social care and the current funding structure.
The home is run by MHA, who were behind a joint letter to Cabinet Ministers earlier this year calling for immediate support to address the staffing crisis in the social care sector.
The letter called for a retention bonus to care staff to reward their dedication throughout the pandemic, visa waivers for care home staff to plug the gap, and an extension to the Infection Control Fund (ICF) to offer practical support to care providers as their essential work to combat Covid-19 continues.
Wera has now joined calls for more support for the social care sector.
The MP said: “The dedication of the team at Stratton House was admirable and I enjoyed gardening with some of the residents.
“I was drawn in by the community-focused ethos of the home and how Steve and his staff made it so homely for residents.
“This hard work and dedication cannot be undervalued any longer. Social care is suffering from a staff shortage caused mostly by Brexit and the pandemic has worsened its impacts. Without the social care workforce, we have no care system.
“I support calls for the Government to introduce recruitment and retention measures and will be raising this issue in Parliament on my return from the autumn recess.”
Following the visit, Steve Hill commented: “I never fail to be impressed by the care, skill and dedication shown by my team, including throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
“At this point, it is getting harder to bring more new people in and this means people are working harder than ever to deliver good quality care for older people in Bath and beyond.
“My hope is that care workers across the country get the recognition they so deserve, and the Government steps in to make sure we have the staff in place to deliver care for more older people who need it.
“Stratton House residents were delighted to welcome our local MP, and I am really pleased to have her support for MHA’s #FixCareForAll campaign.”
