HEREFORDSHIRE Council is planning to phase out  so-called “15 minute” home care calls to the few remaining clients that still receive them.

The council confirmed the phase out today (Mon) saying the decision was based on better care options not budget cuts.

Instead, it will be for care clients and their families to make a case for flying visits  as the best way to meet needs.

Flying home care visits have been an issue for councils across the country after a series of investigations exposed a culture of clock-watching practices.

But breakneck checks, in turn, expose wider financial pressures adult social services are under with care contracted out and competing on price.

In March, survey figures were published that showed an estimated 75 per cent of councils expected carers to complete visits to elderly people in less than half an hour.

Ten per cent imposed time limits of 15 minutes.

Companies providing home care have complained of councils driving down the prices they were prepared to pay for care, to the point where quality was affected and some carers were leaving the profession.

In March, government ministers ordered an end to flying visits within a year.

The number of 15 minute calls commissioned in Herefordshire is low – only around 40 people currently receive them - and the plan is to reduce them even further.

Home care visits are made by care support staff working for companies commissioned by the council.

Helen Coombes, director, adult and wellbeing, said increasing use of technology and the growth of “strong supportive communities” was changing the way care clients can be supported in their own homes.

“We want people who need care and support to enjoy a good quality of life and be active members of their local community, as far as they can be.

“Fifteen minute home care calls don’t provide the quality of care we want, so in order to improve our focus in future, we will stop approving support plans that have 15 minute calls within them - unless it is made very clear that the client needing the support and/or their family believe it is the best way to meet their needs,” she said.

Forecasts have  projected a still to be confirmed overspend of £613,000 on adult social care by the council at the end of the 2014/15 financial year.

Earlier forecasts had projected the overspend at close to £1 million.

The adult and wellbeing savings target for 2014/15 was £5.5 million with the most recent forecast expecting up to 68 per cent of this to be delivered – but offset by savings plans for 2015/16 being brought forward.

Though the forecast overspend within adult social care client groups has stabilised, adult and wellbeing saw a growth in demand over the past financial year that  outstripped the overall national level.

That growth has been particularly high in relation to nursing care due to pressures within the hospital system.

A more proactive approach  to managing placements with the costing of all new placements - as well as current high cost packages - subject to challenge has kept pace with the demand increase, it was deemed “impossible” for the council to deliver the expected saving in addition.

As such, alternative savings plans identified for 2015/16 were brought forward to partially offset the impact of non-delivery within the last financial year.

The council is working on the assumption that any further demand pressures can be managed with new services such as re-ablement and tele-care – fully operational from November – which are seen as starting to make an impact on demand growth.