Care Waiting Lists Down But “Care Needs” Increasing Sur vey Reveals

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Adult social care is an opportunity not a problem” It employs over 1 5 million people in England and contributes £51 5bn to the economy in England

Proper investment in adult social care as a key part of the nation’s infrastructure, would unlock jobs, growth and tackle health and socio-economic inequalities across the country It would be one of the single-most powerful policy decisions a government could make to better the lives of people everywhere ”

NCF welcomes the recommendations of the ADASS report but we would like to add a few of our own We are calling on the government to:

Develop a long-term workforce plan for adult social care which models future workforce requirements and seeks to diversify the types of roles available as well as developing career structures and qualifications This should be aligned with NHS workforce planning to enable a joined-up workforce and to enhance the quality of care provided by both the NHS and social care

• Instigate a review involving employers commissioners, and employee representatives with a view to implementing a new career-based pay and reward structure for social care which will be: (a) comparable with the NHS and equivalent sectors; (b) fullyfunded by Central Government; and (c) mandatory on employers and commissioners of services

Introduce a requirement for all government policymaking to include ‘Care and Support Impact Assessments’ to widen policymaking beyond a narrow health focus to unlock the potential of social care to improving wider determinants of health and wellbeing as well as economic prosperity and societal cohesion

Introduce professional registration for all adult social care workers and establish a professional body to represent them This must be fully funded by the state

• Encouraging commissioners to prioritise not-forprofit care ahead of for-profit models of care

Set up a capital investment fund to enable not-forprofit providers to develop and create new services and buildings with a focus on new models of care environmental sustainability and the introduction of new technologies

Establish and fund a national framework for the price of registered and unregistered care which ensures good quality sustainable care wherever you live and removes the catastrophic costs providers individuals and families are being expected to pay to subsidise the state

• Develop a National Care Covenant as outlined in the Archbishops’ Commission into Reimaging Care Report which is co-produced and sets out clearly the mutual rights and responsibilities of the different parties This would make clear the role of citizens families, communities and the state in providing support and paying for it

'SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH'

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England says: These survey results indicate that although the short-term funding boosts from Government have helped reduce the number of people waiting for care and increased support for people at home this is simply not enough Local Authorities have been set up to fail by Government

Whilst they have been allocated a £2 3bn share of the Social Care Grant combined with £562m from the Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund

Local Authorities have been required to deliver £806m in savings to their budgets, provision £692m of additional funding in 2023/24 to demographic pressures and will incur a cost of £1 8bn to deliver the National Living Wage increase in 2023/24

Consequently, Local Authorities are starting from a £400m deficit before they even look to address staffing inflation and wider cost pressures Whilst it is incredibly welcome that 94% of Local Authorities chose to take up adult social care precept for 2023/24 Local Authorities are operating on a shoestring and require significant investment from central Government Without intervention, we face an uncertain future The survey highlights the increasing number of providers closing ceasing trading or handing back council contracts The warning lights have never been brighter for the Government ”