ITEM: 14(a)
PAGE: 1
REPORT TO: POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE 8 OCTOBER 2013
SUBJECT:
MAYBANK STAFFING BUDGET
BY:
CORPORATE DIRECTOR (EDUCATION AND SOCIAL CARE)
1.
REASON FOR REPORT
1.1
To update Committee on the staffing budget and staffing implications for
Maybank, a Learning Disability Residential Challenging Behaviour Unit in
Forres.
1.2
This report is submitted to Committee in terms of Section III (A) (2) of the
Council's Administrative Scheme to regulate and manage the finances of the
Council in accordance with the policies determined by the Council
2.
REASON FOR URGENCY
2.1
A recent inspection by the Care Inspectorate has resulted in the requirement
that; - the provider must ensure that there are sufficient staffing working in the
care home to meet the identified health, welfare and safety needs of the
service users. Also staff are working additional hours and are fatigued, the
activities of the residents are compromised and this can lead to additional
challenges.
3.
RECOMMENDATION
3.1
Committee are asked to consider the contents of the report and:
i)
Agree to use the £200k in Transition funding to fund the staffing
budget pressure and to ensure safe and effective care for residents,
and a safe and effective working environment for staff; and
ii) Remit this report to the Health and Social Care Committee for their
information.
4.
BACKGROUND
4.1
Maybank is a residential challenging behaviour unit in Forres. It provides
accommodation for four people who all present extremely challenging
behaviour. Maybank has been operated by the Moray Council since April
2012, prior to that it was operated by The Richmond Fellowship.
ITEM: 14(a)
PAGE: 2
4.2
Staff were transferred to The Moray Council from The Richmond Fellowship in
April 2012 in accordance with the Transfer of Undertakings & Protection of
Employment Regulations 2002. A report on this was presented to Policy &
Resources Committee on 31 January 2012 (para 31 of the minute refers),
Maybank was not fully staffed at this time and had inherent recruitment
problems.
4.3
When Maybank was taken over by the Moray Council, a staffing structure was
agreed with information provided from The Richmond Fellowship, based on
full establishment required for the unit. This consisted of; 1 FTE Manager
(Grade 9), 4 FTE Assistant Managers (Grade 7); 8 FTE x Key Worker
(Challenging Behaviour) (Grade 5) and 18 FTE x Care Assistant (Challenging
Behaviour) (Grade 4) at an estimated maximum staffing cost of £982,701.
4.4
When staff were transferred to The Moray Council from The Richmond
Fellowship, Maybank was not fully staffed and a recruitment process was put
in place. Recruitment has proved difficult and in the first financial year of
operation, the unit was not fully staffed. The Maybank budget was set
according to the actual staffing figure rather than the staffing structure
required to run the establishment. The impact of this is that the unit is
operating under establishment in terms of Care Assistant posts and there is
an overspend in overtime and relief hours.
4.5
The budget pressure of bringing this service in house was included in the
report “Allocation of Budget to meet Budget Pressures” at Policy & Resources
Committee on 20 March 2012 (para 8 of the minute refers) Appendix 4 to this
report included the details of the service and was acknowledged that funding
would be required of £900k in total (reduced from £965k) and that an
allocation of £450k would be required in 2012/13 to increase this budget to
this level.
4.6
At Policy & Resources Committee on 27 Novermber 2012 (para 6 of the
minute refers) approval was received for a budget allocation for 2012/13 and
2013/14 of £220k. Therefore the total budget that was set for Maybank in the
first financial year was £785k.
4.7
Maybank is working with Moray Council Human Resources Service and is
carrying out continuous recruitment to ensure that a full staffing complement
is reached. The budget for this recruitment is not in place and there is a
shortfall. Recruitment has been put on hold until the budgetary position can
be resolved.
4.8
Whilst Maybank has been operating without a full staffing compliment, this is
not a safe working situation. Staff are working additional hours and are
fatigued, the activities of the residents are compromised and this can lead to
additional challenges. In addition, there has been a recent inspection of the
unit by the Care Inspectorate and there is a requirement to ensure that
Maybank is fully staffed
ITEM: 14(a)
PAGE: 3
4.9
The balance of the budget pressure of £230k was not brought forward into the
2013/14 funding. However, there is £200k in the fund for Transition clients in
2013/14, which is now unlikely to be required in 2013/14. Committee are
asked to approve the use of this £200k to fund the pressure of Maybank
staffing.
5.
SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS
(a)
Single Outcome Agreement/Service Improvement Plan
National Outcome 15, “Our public services are high quality, continually
improving, efficient and responsive to local people’s needs”.
(b)
Policy and Legal
There is a requirement by the Care Inspectorate to ensure that the unit
is fully staffed.
(c)
Financial implications
The financial implications are considered in section 4 of this report. The
additional cost of bringing the staffing establishment to full requirement
can be contained within the £200k funding noted, if the Committee
approve of the change. Staffing as detailed in para (e) below would
require funding of £117.5k.
(d)
Risk Implications
Providing an appropriate service for people with learning disabilities
and challenging behaviour reduces risks to them and their carers. The
risks are of staff loss of morale and loss of staff members leading to
delivery of poor care and the subsequent increase in the number of
incidents of a disturbed or violent nature in Maybank. There is a risk to
reputation of The Moray Council. There is also a financial risk if The
Council is unable to sustain the service at Maybank then out of area
placements may be required for one or more service users. The cost of
this will depend on individual need and availability of resource.
(e)
Staffing Implications
This report, if approved, will result in recruitment of additional staff to
Maybank and will strengthen our ability to manage challenging
behaviour in Moray.
Staffing Required for full establishment would be an additional 5 x 37
hour FTE Grade 4 staff at a cost of £117.5k
(f)
Property
There are no implication with regard to property in this report.
(g)
Equalities
An appropriate service for this group assures equality and equity for the
service users. A commissioning process is in place to consider a
replacement for the infrastructure and this process includes a
ITEM: 14(a)
PAGE: 4
stakeholder intelligence group. No additional equalities issues have
been identified to date.
(h)
Consultations
Consultation has taken place with Head of Community Care; Principal
Accountant, Deborah O’Shea; Senior Solicitor, Kathryn MacPherson;
Commissioning Manager, Roddy Huggan; Service manager, John
Campbell and Senior HR Adviser, Katrina McGillivray, all of whom
concur with the contents of this report.
6.
CONCLUSION
6.1
Committee are asked to agree the increase in staffing budget as detailed
above.
Author of Report:
Charles McKerron, Service Manager.
Background Papers: There are no background papers.
Ref: