EVENT REVIEW
THE KING’S FUND: WHAT'S IN STORE FOR HEALTH AND CARE IN 2021? 28th January 2021
In its first online event of the year, The King’s Fund delivered an insightful and detailed webinar looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities the health and social care sectors face in the next 12 months. Employing the knowledge of its own sector experts, The King’s Fund also responded to a series of topical questions from the online audience.
BACKLOG FOR CARE BUT PROMISE OF LEGISLATION Richard Murray, Chief Executive of The King's Fund, summarised a gloomy outlook for social care, citing the impact of COVID-19 on creating an inevitable backlog of people needing social care services – people who were too fearful of the virus to come forward in 2020. On a more positive note, the sector should be encouraged by the prospect of new legislation passing in 2021 outlining further plans for integration between health and social care. The King's Fund Chief Executive said one of the few positives arising from COVID-19 is that public awareness of the social care sector has grown in the last 12 months. The King’s Fund expects this to drive positive change and remind Government to keep its promise of delivering much-needed reform.
THE GAPS IN THE FUNDING The webinar panel shared its understanding of The King’s Fund’s predictions for 2021
and responded to audience questions. Sally Warren, Director, Policy, at The King's Fund lead the discussion around the importance of a long-term financial settlement for the sector. Despite its long-standing necessity, the funding offered thus far has been limited and does not cover the wide-ranging investment needed to level-up social care in areas such as recruitment and community initiatives that will enable people to live the lives they want. The discussion reached the conclusion that if the Government continues to neglect its commitment to reform, there will be a reduction in care providers and the quality of care will be driven down. In response, Siva Anandaciva, Chief Analyst, Policy at The King's Fund, suggested that despite the impact of COVID-19, public awareness of the social care sector and its potential for growth is still not yet significant enough to materialise itself in a Government that is forced to address the demands of its constituents. Siva holds the belief that COVID-19 has only served to increase public engagement in social care through an ‘institutional lens’, because of the extensive media attention surrounding care homes. To secure reform for social care moving into 2021, the narrative needs to shift towards the true ambition of the sector. That is, to address the needs of working age adults and maintaining independence at home.
RECRUITMENT DRIVE FOR 2021 Staying with the question raised of what long-term reform may look like for social care in the next 12 months, one challenge for the sector is retaining its workforce in a post-COVID setting. Sally Warren said one way this could be achieved is by making the role more attractive with incentives such as increased pay. Suzie Bailey, Director, Leadership and Organisational Development at The King's Fund, echoed this whilst also identifying that employers must focus on getting the basics right first when it comes to the management of their staff. In addition, the fundamental shortage of care workers must be singled out as a key issue facing the sector in 2021. A recruitment drive should be undertaken in the next 12 months to address this. Lastly, whilst there are many factors that are beyond employers’ control in determining the sector’s labour supply market, employers should look within and enhance their pastoral capacity. This is something that can be controlled and many should act upon to aid recovery from COVID-19 in social care. The webinar concluded with closing remarks from the Chair and signposted to The King’s Fund resources to complement the webinar’s subject matter. A recording of the webinar and associated resources can be found at https://webinars.kingsfund.org.uk/ whats-in-store-for-health-and-care-in-2021/od
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