AFTER recent speculation over the retention of the community beds at Holsworthy Hospital there is welcome news that the amount Devon County Council spends on personal care is set to rise.

In a recent announcement by the council, it said: “Despite government cuts to funding, the council is increasing the amount it spends on personal care and support for elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes in a bid to bring greater stability to the personal care market, improve quality and raise morale among the workforce.”

The council has agreed on new personal care contracts with local care providers and these will begin in the early summer 2016.

These contracts are expected to be worth over £210-million over the next five to seven years and will mean increased investment in the care and support of vulnerable people.

The council work alongside the NHS to arrange personal care and support for more than 4,000 people a week across the county.

The services being provided include helping people get washed and dressed, preparing a meal or ensuring medication is taken, these are vital ways in which people are being helped to stay independently in their own homes for longer — reducing the need for residential care or long hospital stays.

The new contracts have been awarded to provider partners across the eight geographical zones in Devon.

This includes Zone 1, Holsworthy, Bideford/Northam and Great Torrington — awarded to the North Devon Healthcare Trust.

For each zone a lead provider partner has been appointed who will be responsible for organising and delivering personal care services in their specific area. This will include co-coordinating and supporting other local providers.

As a result frontline carers will be paid at least the national living wage, as per new government guidelines, for all contracted hours, including payment for expenses like travel time and transport costs.

For those who are already receiving council-funded domiciliary care, the support they are receiving from their current carers, under the terms of their current contracts, may continue.

Cllr Barry Parsons, Holsworthy Rural’s Conservative county councillor and member of the county council’s cabinet, said: “Given recent challenges posed by the Northern Devon Healthcare Trust with the possible closure of beds at our Holsworthy Hospital we must aspire towards supporting the trust in the belief that wider access to funding and resource generally becomes available and, thereby, building capacity into the system locally.”