10 QUESTIONS
10 Questions With... Jay Patel
Each issue we ask an industry professional the Tomorrow’s Care 10 Questions. This month, we chatted to Jay Patel, Owner from Acacia Care.
Q3
HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THE CARE SECTOR?
Encourage career progression so that more middle managers and leaders of care homes and care groups come from the health care assistant cohort. Investment in staff training and ultimately retention is fundamental to ensuring good outcomes for service users. There seems to be a glass ceiling in care home management where home managers do not progress into group management or leadership roles and more programmes need to exist to support this career path.
Q4 Q1
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE CARE INDUSTRY?
Whilst looking for care for my grandfather 20 years ago, I decided that there was a gap in the management and leadership of many of the homes we viewed. I decided to take redundancy and acquired a home in Exeter, with the aim of completely transforming the quality of care and living standards. Over three years, the home’s reputation improved and staff retention rates blossomed. I learnt the importance of getting the fundamentals and culture in place in order to foster a successful service.
Q2
WHO, IN ANY OTHER INDUSTRY, DO YOU MOST ADMIRE?
My father; having come to the UK in the 1970s from East Africa as the eldest son, he supported a family of eight brothers and sisters and worked to find a niche as well as take risks beyond anything he or his peer group had experienced before. His experience taught me that you need to continually step outside your comfort zone in order to effect change, both in your personal life and professionally.
- 50 - Q5
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPER POWER FOR A DAY WHAT
WOULD IT BE? Time travel. I would like to see what health and social care looks like in 10 years time.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING THE CARE
INDUSTRY TODAY? Funding is of course the biggest challenge the sector faces, however with the changing demography this problem is not going away. I think the lack of innovation is a bigger concern. Commissioners need to take more risks in working with innovative suppliers. Innovation in processes will be even more necessary with the ability to bring new technology to bear in the coming years.
Q6 Q7
IF YOU COULD HAVE A DINNER PARTY WITH ANY THREE PEOPLE,
DEAD OR ALIVE WHO WOULD IT BE? Donald Trump, Tiger Woods, Ali –G.
WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE TO SOMEONE NEW
COMING INTO THE CARE PROFESSION? I believe anyone who comes into care
does so because they genuinely do care about those they care for. My advice is to hold that sentiment as you progress
along your career path. Q8
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN A FUTURE ISSUE OF
TOMORROW’S CARE? An interview with a care home group managing director who started their career as a carer.
Q9
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THE CARE
INDUSTRY? Revolution! A fundamental change in the way we commission services on a national level and to utilise technology so we can create a transparent care pathway for the individual between services across their lifetime and on a national level.
Q10
BRENDAN KELLY, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HEATHCOTES
GROUP, ASKED: “WILL THE NHS REMAIN AS PUBLICLY FUNDED AND FREE AT THE POINT OF DELIVERY, OR ARE WE MOVING TOWARDS A US MODEL OF HEALTHCARE PROVISION?” No government is willing to make the difficult decision over charging for services for fear of losing popularity. The reality is that the NHS is too expensive to run as things stand. The current framework has very little disincentive for waste and inefficiency partly because of a lack of respect for the NHS and partly because patients do not understand the cost of the service. Difficult decisions need to be made about how we fund the service, either through a health insurance scheme or additional taxation ring- fenced for the NHS. However, reducing waste and improving innovation must be centre stage for any reform and getting patients to pay for missed appointments and understanding the cost of treatment is vital.
www.acaciacare.co.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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