Forum Brief: Care homes

A new body has been established to represent the care homes sector and is threatening to close the door to new residents unless ministers increase the weekly care fees.

English Care is demanding a £100 increase in the weekly payment in order to "look after people in accordance with the law".

Forum Response: Voice UK

Kathryn Stone, director of Voice UK, told ePolitix.com: "If you were to stay in a travel motel it would cost about £45 a night (outside London). A week therefore is £315. This doesn't include meals, personal laundry, meaningful daytime activities or personal care. And yet we expect care homes provides to care for some very vulnerable people in a skilled way for £370 a week.

"Standards that care home providers are expected to meet are rightly very high. It is unreasonable to expect them to meet these standards if they are being paid little more than the cost of very basic hotel facilities.

"Voice UK supports appropriate payment for good quality care. Providers must be paid in accordance with the services they provide and regulation must be sufficiently robust to make sure the standards are being maintained."