The Commission on Residential Care (CORC)
In 2013-14, Demos is hosting a new Commission into the future of residential care, chaired by former Care Services Minister Paul Burstow MP. The Commission has been formed with the aim of developing a vision of residential care that is fit for the 21st century.
In recent years, the care home sector has been plagued by abuse scandals, epitomised by cases like Winterbourne View. But behind the headlines, care homes are also operating in the context of reduced public spending, the wholesale transformation of the health and care systems, an agenda that promotes choice and personalised care for everyone, and a rapidly ageing population, which is placing additional pressure on a care system already under strain.
At the same time, peoples’ expectations of residential care are changing, as current generations become accustomed to a higher level of independence and choice than the post-war generation, and more emphasis is placed on supporting people with disabilities to live independently in the community.
The sector is at a crossroads, when it can no longer continue with business as usual. It is with these pressures in mind that the Commission on Residential Care has been formed to establish the proper role of residential care in a modern care system. It will envision a care sector that is financially sustainable and consistently delivers personalised care that empowers individuals to be as independent as possible within a supportive community.
The Commission will consider the financial, operational, governance and cultural aspects of residential care and how these might be improved – drawing on existing good practice – so that the sector can respond positively to the challenges facing it.
Methodology
Over the course of a year, the Commissioners will gather evidence from charities, care providers, current care home residents and staff and members of the wider public, particularly the ‘next generation’ of care home users – those who are approaching retirement age, or who are living with physical or learning disabilities, in order to assess future demand.
This will include calls for evidence from the public and organisations working in the care sector, site visits, interviews with practitioners and focus groups with current and future care users. In addition, the Commissioners will explore best practice examples from abroad.
This process will culminate in the publication of a high profile independent report in summer 2014, containing recommendations for the sector and policy makers on the way forward for residential care.
Commissioners
The Commissioners represent private and voluntary sector providers, academia, and local and national policy makers.
Paul Burstow MP
Former Care Services Minister and Chair of the Commission
Paul served as Minister of State for Care Services in the Department of Health between 2010 and 2012, and has a long-term interest in the provision of care in society. In his ministerial role, he was responsible for care for the elderly, adult social care, mental health services and learning disability programmes.
He has served as the Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam since 1997, and during that time has been their spokesperson for local government, and for older people. He was invited to join the Shadow Cabinet in 2001, covering issues affecting the elderly and vulnerable, before being promoted to Shadow Health Secretary in 2003. Prior to his election to Parliament, Paul was a councillor in Sutton, where he chaired the Council’s Disability Forum.
Paul has just finished chairing the Joint Committee on the Draft Care and Support Bill.
Dr Chai Patel CBE
Chairman, HC-One
Chai is the chair of HC-One, a UK care home provider formed in 2011 when Court Cavendish merged with NHP (Nursing Home Properties) to take over the running of around 250 care homes formerly operated by Southern Cross. Chai brought back the Court Cavendish name he had established in 1988, to create a new health and social care turn-around consultancy.
Chai has over 30 years experience in healthcare – leading and advising a number of care providers, including CareFirst, Westminster Health Care and the Priory Group.
Chai is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, has been a member of Government Task Forces for Older People and Better Regulation, and in 1999 was awarded a CBE for services to the development of social care policies.
Guy Geller
Managing Director, Sunrise Senior Living UK
Guy joined Sunrise – which owns 27 retirement communities across England and Wales – in May 2011 as Managing Director. He has more than a decade’s experience in health and social care management, spanning operations, marketing and property. Before joining Sunrise, he was a Senior Director at Brookdale Senior Living, the largest operator of retirement housing in the USA.
Guy is particularly passionate about supporting people suffering from dementia and helping to find a cure. Guy was a Board Member of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Great Illinois Chapter in the US, and helps fund the Alzheimer’s Society’s Research Network.
Guy sits on the board of the English Community Care Association (ECCA), and is a vocal advocate for the independent care sector within the health and social care landscape.
Professor Julienne Meyer
Executive Director of My Home Life programme and Professor of Nursing and Care for Older Adults, City University London
Julienne leads the My Home Life Programme, which was established in 2006 to promote quality of life in care homes – not just among residents, but also for staff and visitors. She also leads research in care for older people at City University London, where she is Professor of Nursing and Care for Older Adults.
Des Kelly OBE
Executive Director, National Care Forum
Des has been Executive Director of the National Care Forum (NCF) since the organisation was formed in 2003. Between 1998 and 2003, Des was Partnerships Director for BUPA Care Homes, and has previously held positions with a number of care home providers and social care organisations.
He served on the Committee for the Wagner Review of Residential Care, which published its high-profile report Residential Care: A positive choice in 1988. He is currently the chair of the Centre for Policy on Ageing, and the My Home Life programme advisory group. Des is a Director of both the National Skills Academy for Social Care and the charity the Residential Forum.
He is currently managing a major piece of research, funded by the Department of Health, into medication management in care homes.
Simon Arnold
UK and Ireland Managing Director, Tunstall Healthcare
Simon joined Tunstall from Aviva Health in the summer of 2011 and has responsibility for shaping the strategy of the business to deliver services that are built around the needs of care users. He is a driving force in reshaping the industry’s approach to telehealth and telecare away from focusing on the technology alone and onto integrated care delivery, with technology as the enabler.
Simon is a Non-Executive Director of the Telecare Services Association, representing the industry in standard-setting and stakeholder engagement, and is also a member of the Government’s 3MillionLives working group, which is seeking to ensure that assistive technology is effectively embedded within health, social care and housing environments.
Simon has also spent a number of years in consultancy, and working for British Gas.
Richard Jones CBE
Executive Director of Adult and Community Services, Lancashire County Council (on secondment to NHS England in Lancashire)
Richard is the Director of NHS England in Lancashire, on secondment from Lancashire County Council, where he has been the Director of Adult and Community Services for 10 years. He served as President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) in 2010/11.
Richard was a member of the Social Work Task Force, and was instrumental in setting up the Think Local, Act Personal Partnership, which was established in 2011 to drive forward personalisation and community-based care.
He was awarded a CBE for services to adult social care in 2012.
Jane Ashcroft
Chief Executive of Anchor
Jane was appointed as the Chief Executive of Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of care and housing for older people, in March 2010.
She joined Anchor in 1999 from BUPA, which had acquired Care First plc where she was Personnel Director. She was previously HR Manager and Company Secretary with Bromford Housing Group, and before that Assistant Secretary with Midlands Electricity plc.
Jane chairs the English Community Care Association, the largest representative body for providers of adult social care, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and a member of that Institute’s council.
Clare Pelham
Chief Executive, Leonard Cheshire Disability
Clare has been Chief Executive of Leonard Cheshire Disability for two and a half years. Previously she was the inaugural chief executive of the Judicial Appointments Commission, and has also held senior positions in the Cabinet Office, Home Office and Department of Constitutional Affairs.
Clare believes passionately in working towards a society in which every person is equally valued, and where disabled people have the freedom to live their lives in the way that they choose.
Demos secretariat
The project will be supervised by Claudia Wood, Deputy Director of Demos and Head of the Public Services and Welfare Programme. Claudia leads our research on health, social care, disability and welfare policy.
The project will be managed day-to-day by Jo Salter, Researcher in the Public Services and Welfare team at Demos. Jo has previously worked on Demos projects in a range of areas relating to health and care – most recently, co-authoring a report produced for Sue Ryder Care on preferences around end of life care.
The Commission is supported through the generosity of a coalition of funders, including HC-One, Sunrise Senior Living, Tunstall Healthcare, the National Care Forum and Kimberly-Clark.
Contact the Commission
Demos has issued a call for evidence about the future direction of the care home sector - click here to download the details of the call. We welcome submissions, which should be sent to corc@demos.co.uk before 31st May 2014.