Health Secretary Matt Hancock: 'We should have fixed social care by now'

Matt Hancock, the secretary for health and social care has told a room full of local government leaders, “we should have fixed social care by now”.

The health secretary admitted while he is “committed” to publishing a Social Care Green Paper “it’s been held up by the parliamentary logjam and a lack of cross-party consensus”.

Speaking at the Local Government Association Annual Conference in Bournemouth today (4 July), Matt Hancock said: “Of course, we need a sustainable long-term solution to the funding of social care.

"The best solutions to these sorts of long-term problems are cross party, and social care has been bedevilled by a failure to build a cross party consensus.

“When my colleague Damian Green recently proposed a scheme very similar to a plan supported by not one but two cross-party Commons select committees, by 10:42am on the day of the launch, the Shadow Chancellor had condemned it as a “tax on getting old”.

£3m for care manager leadership training

Mr Hancock said “securing a fair settlement for social care should a key priority at the Spending Review" and direct taxpayer funding “is always going to be an important part of the solution” for the long-term sustainable funding for social care.

“Social care has for many years not received the attention and support that it deserves. I’ve spoken with many of you in this room about the problems you face in your local area." Mr Hancock said he would alleviate the challenges facing social care by making £3million available this year for care managers to improve their leadership skills.

“We need to help care managers learn how to lead. We’re going to make up to £3 million available this year for care managers to access learning and development so they can improve their skills.”

Complex care content added to Care Certificate

The minister is also introducing new “specialist content” into the Care Certificate to give care workers training to support the complex needs of people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health issues.

“We’ve listened to social care staff, and what they keep telling us, is that they want more specialist training to deal with the increasingly complex care needs they encounter.” He also referred to a £3 million recruitment campaign to attract “the right number, and the right type of people into social care”.

The minister said he aims to ensure five million more people benefit from personalised care within the next decade.

He highlighted his wish to see them get more choice about their care and more control over their personal health and social care budgets.

Mr Hancock said he wanted a “radical change” with more people entering a care setting that’s right for them, more care at home and in the community and the building of “the right sorts of homes” where people get the care they need.

'Care isn't something that only happens in care homes'

He added: “Care isn’t something that only happens in care homes. Keeping people out of hospital and in their own homes helps alleviate the pressures on the NHS.

“But getting people the care they need out of hospital, and in their own homes, is also the right thing to do because it’s best for them.”

Keen for this radical change not to cost more, he said: “This agenda doesn’t cost more, in fact it should save.”

Mr Hancock also spoke of a “need to move ahead” with the shift to Integrated Care Systems, bringing together the NHS with local authorities

He said more integration would bring together health and social care professionals with commissioners and providers, the NHS with local authorities and praised local areas pooling budgets, jointly designating lead commissioners and more integrated systems.

Mr Hancock said the government was “also going to look into dedicated employment rights for carers”.

He told local government leaders: “We rightly took the decision to keep the lead commissioning of public health services with local authorities because you know more about your local communities. You know your local areas, you know your people, far better than central government or the NHS ever can."

Adult social care faces a £3.6 billion funding gap by 2025

In response, chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, said: "More than 12 months has passed since the Government announced yet another delay to the publication of its social care green paper. Those who rely on vital care and support cannot wait any longer.

“That is why the Government needs to commit to meeting our 10-week deadline, before the party conferences start, to finally publish its much-delayed and long-awaited green paper outlining what the future funding options and possible solutions to this crisis are."

July marks one year since the LGA produced its own green paper, following repeated delays to the Government’s version. The LGA’s new publication was launched at its Annual Conference ‘One year on – the LGA green paper for adult social care and wellbeing’.

The LGA’s #CouncilsCan campaign aims to influence the forthcoming Spending Review and highlight the growing risk to vital local services if the Government does not take action to secure the financial sustainability of councils.

Cllr Hudspeth added: “Local government stands ready to host cross-party talks to kick-start this process and make sure we get the answers and certainty we need, so that people can continue to receive essential care and support.”