Residential and Nursing Care Market Position Statement 2025 - 2040 - Conversations with Walsall Providers about future models

In co-design conversations with Walsall providers, providers made the following points:

• The need for purpose built and well refurbished care homes –modern design, stimulating environments, person centred care, not necessarily replicating services in communities (hairdressers etc) but ensuring a range of modern facilities to meet a range of needs e.g. consultation room for podiatry, GP appts, Mental Health support. TEC built into designs e.g. sensor mats, door sensors, acoustic TEC, face pain recognition TEC, AI for translation of different languages
• Providers acknowledged current stock and refurbishments v new builds. There will need to be a mix in Walsall
• Dementia friendly environments - different colour doors, handrails, toilet seats, basins, interactive activity boards (Yetti tablets), staff training and skillset for dementia care
• Challenges in transforming services: cultural and practical changes needed by staff – this is not always easy e.g. the transition from paper care plans to digital plans – needs time and investment
• Idea of sector-led support: homes that have made the transition supporting those due to/ in transition
• New sites being bought forward by investors for care homes: absolute need for join up between commissioners, planning, land assets, providers, partners. Private investment is key. Plans to be co-ordinated and ensure that new provision meets demand/ needs presenting
• TEC is considered a fundamental enabler by providers in the future of care and support. One provider talked of building TEC and digital in new home developments. Another provider talked about the transition of bringing TEC into an existing provision and some of the challenges of this and opportunities it has bought e.g. digital care plans
• Examples of the win-wins of TEC - improved outcomes for individuals such as night care (residents not disturbed at night) and cost savings for providers as can reduce 1-1s/ staffing ratios
• Providers gave examples of TEC - acoustic Tec, sensors, Alexas, Ethel devices, AI technology usage
• Agreed that a joint audit/ plan on current TEC usage and then what is needed into the future would be wise followed by a joint investment and roll out plan
• Key theme in the conversation – the criticality of retaining and recruiting skilled, passionate workforce
• Importance of higher staff rations in more complex care and an acceptance that this care will cost more up front but costs reduce and better outcomes achieved due to initial intense period of support
• Need for a clear care workforce pathway, well remunerated and sketched out so people can progress with the skills need for increasingly complex care e.g. an advanced care practitioner model
• Support is sought from the Council and partners with workforce development; support for sharing training and facilities and strategically to co-design workforce pathways with public sector partners. Discussion on pipelines from schools and FE colleges and for adult returners to work
• It is difficult to reimagine and co-design the future of care without this critical workforce development foundation
• Provider-led discussion on the importance of the LA recognising that for complex care packages there need to be titration models where costs will be higher at outset and then reduce as people stabilise
• Need for joint work on agility in provision: how this could work to the benefit of the Council and providers in terms of void management, occupancy levels, need for urgent respite care
• Providers want to have information packs and intelligence from the Council on projected demand, gaps in services, locations to focus on – part of MPS – but needs to be a dynamic process where this is proactively led by the Council and regularly updated
• Providers said they need more referrals from Walsall Council
• Need to consider that a care home placement may be a home for life for some people in their later years/ life (end of life care) but for some others it may be temporary
• Need to consider that the requirements of people coming into bed-based care in 2040 will be different than now (more used to TEC, having lived independent lives for longer etc).