In response to the Government’s announcement on the next steps for social care Dr Jane Townson, Chief Executive of the Homecare Association said:
“We welcome the ambitious vision set out in the People at the Heart of Care White Paper. Regrettably, however, the funding allocated was never adequate to deliver this vision, including growing and developing the workforce, which is critical for the future. We were grateful that the government announced some new money in the Autumn Statement but much of this will be absorbed by the rise in the national minimum wage and general inflation. It is disappointing that today’s announcement moves further away from delivering the reform that many older and disabled people need.
“Demand for social care has never been higher. At the same time, vacancies in homecare are close to 14%, among the highest of any sector in the economy. During a recruitment and retention crisis it is particularly disappointing that the funding for workforce reform has been cut to £250 million and that pay and terms and conditions of employment are not being addressed.
“So many of the challenges in enabling people to live well in their own home are interconnected, from appropriate housing to helping unpaid carers to supporting the wellbeing of careworkers. Removing funding for these reforms impacts on the wider ecosystem of health and care services, with health services placed under more pressure if people cannot access timely and appropriate care.
“It is not just the health and care system that is affected by the lack of funding. Investing in homecare is key to helping people return to the workforce and growing the economy. Without adequate care and timely health treatment, people are faced with no choice but to leave the workforce due to their own health or to look after family members.
“At the last budget the Government did increase funding for social care. It is vital that councils use this funding to increase fee rates sufficiently to ensure that careworkers feel it in their pockets.
“We must invest in the social care workforce in a sustainable way to enable fair recognition and reward of professional carers for the skills and experience needed in these roles. This includes supporting their wellbeing and improving pay and terms and conditions of employment. Doing so will allow the sector to support more people to live well at home.”