Transforming the National Care Home Contract

JJ Turner is a man on a mission. Having joined Scotland Excel in July 2021, he is leading on a major project to transform Scotland’s National Care Home Contract, (NCHC).

With experience of working in a care home, training to be a qualified social worker and then joining the commissioning team at East Renfrewshire Council, JJ was delighted to become Scotland Excel’s Category Manager For the National Care Home Contract.

He discovered several years ago that he enjoys the process of improving situations to make them better for others. He describes his work re-designing the Scotland-wide NCHC as positive and something he is really looking forward to completing.

The last time the NCHC was updated was in 2013 and the ethos of caring for older people has evolved since then, with the emphasis now being to assist people to stay in their own homes for as long as possible.

Going into a care home should now only be utilised for those who cannot remain safely at home or for those who are needing end of life care.

There are a lot of people and organisations to consult on a re-designed NCHC and JJ has formed a steering group of 12 which met for the first time in October 2021. There is representation from care homes, carers, trade unions, the Care Inspectorate, medical staff, local authorities and Scottish Government.

The focus is all about the service users who need support and how best to provide it. The approach is centered on robust human rights for every individual which JJ wants to see ‘resonate’ through the redesigned contract. Crucial to the success of this is closer working relationships between all the organisations involved.

Moreover, there are updated ways of working, with more partnerships, collaboration, advocacy and the need for clear standards of good practice to be introduced.

It is a huge task but JJ has a time frame mapped out and aims to have a solid draft by the end of 2022.