Claire Kerrane
Ceist:383. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the steps that she has taken to make it easier to recruit home care workers into the sector in order to reduce the current waiting lists. [15609/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 24 March 2022
Ceisteanna (383)
Freagraí scríofa
I am very aware of the strategic workforce challenges in the home support and nursing homes sector, and the need to address this as a matter of urgency. As such I have held multiple meetings with relevant key stakeholders in recent months on these matters.
I have also spoken about my commitment in establishing a Cross-Departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group to examine strategic workforce challenges, including recruitment and retention of workers, in front-line carer roles in home support and nursing homes. This Group is now fully established and I opened the inaugural meeting on 3rd March 2022 and expressed my full support.
The Terms of Reference for the Group are available on the Department’s website:
gov.ie - Minister for Mental Health and Older People Mary Butler launches the first meeting of the Cross-Departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group on Home Carers and Nursing Home Health Care Assistants (www.gov.ie)
The Group will progress a structured programme of ongoing consultative engagements with stakeholders to further explore and define the issues, listen to stakeholder views, and identify approaches to respond to the strategic workforce challenges including the recruitment of staff.
The Group will also provide a forum for agreement on strategic approaches to address the workforce challenges in the sector and develop a report for my consideration outlining the Group’s key findings, recommendations, and a proposed action plan to support implementation of these recommendations to include periodic monitoring of progress.
The Group is working to a tight timeline and is committed to providing a set of recommendations to me by September 2022.
That said, it is important to note that progress is being made in terms of reducing the waiting lists - at the end of January 2022 there were 4,836 people assessed and waiting for a carer to become available. This is a reduction from December 2021, when 5,322 were waiting for a carer to become available. At the end of January 274 were awaiting processing of funding approval, which is a reduction from 474 in December 2021. Furthermore, the total number of people waiting for home support across both categories has reduced from over 9,000 at the start of 2020 to approximately 5,110 by the end of January 2022.