How I improve care home relationships with their local authority

This episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast features Samir Patel, owner of Oaklands Rest Home and head of operations at two-care home provider Manucourt.

Samir is also Executive Board Member of Hampshire Care Association.

In conversation with Adam James of Springup PR, Samir shares his knowledge on the importance of building and maintaining strong ties between care providers and local authorities.

Focusing on developing strong relationships which are mutually beneficial, Samir draws on his years of experience to explain how your care home provider can forge stronger ties with the local authority including:

•     How mutual respect and understanding as crucial for meaningful outcomes in negotiations.

•     Samir shares how respect and a professional attitude of understanding one another's problems is really important and trying to build those relationships.

•     How membership with the Hampshire Care Association, representing 40-50 care providers, facilitates collective action and communication with local authorities.

•     Working together to schedule regular face to face meetings among the group according to what works for each provider and holding honest conversations.

•     The power of working collectively with the association, representing about 4,050 care providers in the county of Hampshire, and local authorities and how this has grown CQC ratings across the area.

•     Samir reflects on challenges posed by financial constraints and fee negotiations, advocating for open and constructive dialogue and the importance of data.

•     Despite political differences, Samir underlines the importance of maintaining focus on improving the quality of care by improving the sense of collectiveness and working together to help push the case and “leaving political flags at the door.”

•     Samir shares his insights into the challenge of managing different types of people but that “change and challenge can also be a good thing and an opportunity.”

•     “Inviting people into the home to help them understand the reality of what’s happening on the floor,” can help show people what challenges are faced by the care sector.

•     Samir shares his insights on collective action during the pandemic and the need for ongoing communication and partnership.

•     He talks about the Covid pandemic period and how the sector coped with “rapid change” and the strong need for the whole health patient care team to work as a unit.

•     Samir advocates for certainty in financial planning, urging early and transparent discussions to provide stability for care providers.