Social care cuts are putting older people and disabled at risk

Older people and those living with disabilities are being put at risk, due to the ability of councils to provide dignified care because of a gap in social care funding.

Following a joint submission in the Spending Review, the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) revealed that part of the solution would be to use money previously allocated for the delayed Care Act to close the funding gap, though this would still leave adult social care with a funding gap of £1.7 billion by 2019/20.

Community wellbeing spokesperson for the LGA, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, said: "Social care is in crisis. We all deserve a social care system which can give our parents or grandparents a dignified and civilised level of care when they need it, but we can't do this without proper funding for councils.

"At the moment, social care and health have a shared ambition, but not a share of the money which is needed to achieve this. It simply doesn't add up and the Spending Review is the Government's opportunity to address this.

"Pumping money into the NHS but not into social care has to stop. NHS money will not pay for the essential visits from carers that help people to get dressed or washed or the night time call to help someone into bed. It is these services that enable people to live with dignity in the community for longer instead of being forced unnecessarily into hospital beds – at a cost to the NHS and the public purse.

"We need a system which will be there for future generations - and we have ambitions in the Care Act to improve the lives of carers and those that need care - but these continued funding pressures are putting this at serious jeopardy."

Residential and home care providers at risk of going out of business

Current problems associated with insufficient funding, increased demand for adult social care support and extra costs have resulted in a funding gap that is growing by at least £700 million each year, a figure that is estimated to reach £2.9 billion by 2020, before the cost of implementing the National Living Wage is taken into account.

The lack of funding for adult social care services for older people and those with disabilities has resulted in local councils stripping back and axing key services. As a result, local councils have less money to recruit and train staff, putting residential and home care providers at risk of going out of business if local councils are unable to pay the cost of care being provided.

In the submission to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, ADASS and the LGA have pressed the Government to plug the adult social care funding gap, until the system is stable enough to introduce the delayed Phase 2 Care Act reforms.

In addition, they have requested the Government fund additional pressures faced by local councils and the provision of adult social care services, including Deprivation of Liberty safeguards (DOLs) and the introduction of the National Living Wage.

The LGA and ADASS have requested the Government allocate £2 billion, each year of the current Parliament to prevent additional problems occurring.

Finally, the submission proposed the Government match and support the ambition of local Governments in pooling budgets for health and social care through an expanded Better Care Fund.

Councils faced with difficult decisions over the types of care services they can afford to provide

Recently, Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, highlighted that there is a ‘direct impact on the NHS if there is not a settlement for social care.' Although the NHS has had £2 billion committed to plug their funding gap, during each year of the current Parliament, no similar provisions have been made for adult social care.

Councils are faced with difficult decisions over the types of care services that they can afford to provide. While the submission warned that social care and support services allow people to remain well and independent in their local communities, it warned increased pressure on funding and growing demand from people with more complex needs could result in less people receiving council funded support.

A recent budget survey conducted by ADASS revealed 400,000 fewer people received council funded support than in 2009/10.

President of ADASS, Ray James, commented: "Everybody accepts that more people are living longer, often with more complex needs. The welcome announcement of the living wage will inevitably increase the cost of care.

"Adult social care budgets have been cut by 31 per cent in real terms over the last five years. Ninety-nine per cent of NHS managers surveyed already report the impact of cuts to social care on front line NHS services. For the first year in living memory more care home beds have closed than opened.

"The simple undeniable truth is that the Chancellor must provide a fair and sustainable funding settlement for social care to ensure growing numbers of older and disabled people get the care and support they need each and every day of their lives."

Local authorities and the NHS are being urged to work together to create a care system designed to prevent poor health.

The provision of adult social care services plays an important role in reducing pressure on the NHS, though people receiving support currently could see the amount of support reduced as budgets are cut.

To read the full submission, visit: http://www.local.gov.uk/documents/10180/6869714/LGA+ADASS+Spendig+Review+social+care+submission/befea68e-bce0-4af3-878c-8db41210a478