Social care white paper 'does little' to tackle workforce pay and high vacancy levels

The government has delivered its long-awaited social care white paper which includes spending £150m on digitisation and £500m on training the social care workforce, but MPs and care leaders said it 'does little' to tackle workforce pay and high vacancy levels that are rife in the sector.

Other spending commitments are £300m to increase the range of supported housing and £70m to help local authorities improve the delivery and standard of care.

The white paper also confirms that £3.6bn will be allocated to reform the social care charging system, so all local authorities pay providers a fair rate for care and preparing local care markets to implement the reforms. This includes funding for the £86,000 cap on individual care costs.

These changes, totalling £5.4bn, will be funded through the 1.25 per cent hike to national insurance made through the health and social care levy.

Launching the paper, Minister for Care Gillian Keegan told MPs that it was “underpinned by three core principles” – to ensure “everybody has choice, control and support to live independent lives”.

Ms Keegan told MPs the government's reform plans will make the system fairer and the "ambitious" proposals come after previous governments "ducked" reforms.

But, Labour MP, Liz Kendall hit back saying the plan "utterly fails to deal with the immediate pressures facing social care as we head on into one of the most difficult winters on record.

"What we needed today was a long-term vision to finally put social care on an equal footing with the NHS at the heart of a welfare state. This white paper falls woefully short of the mark."

Ms Kendall also asked the minister where the plan was to end waiting lists for care.

“Last week, we learnt that a staggering 400,000 older and disabled people were now on council waiting lists for care with 40,000 waiting more than a year. There are over 100,000 staff vacancies and turnover rates are soaring because of these shortages.”

'There is little to tackle poor workforce pay and conditions'

Care leaders are also warning the government that social care needs urgent measures now, and the steps don’t go “fast or far enough” to “achieve this vision.”

Sally Warren, director of policy at The King’s Fund said: “The steps outlined don’t go fast or far enough to achieve this vision and the funding allocated to deliver it is insufficient. There is little to tackle poor workforce pay and conditions and high vacancy levels in the sector.

“There is nothing in the proposals to deal with some of the most urgent and immediate problems currently facing the sector including high levels of unmet need and a fragile provider market. There is also a lack of new, practical measures to empower people to have personal choice and control over the care they receive.”

Vic Rayner, chief executive of the National Care Forum (NCF) says the white paper does not address the current crisis, particularly in relation to the workforce shortage.

“We need the government to urgently go further, says Ms Rayner. “Staff who have worked in care for years are leaving in their droves through exhaustion, stress and the ability to be paid better in other sectors that can flex and change their wages. Organisations who have delivered care as a vital part of communities are closing their doors, unable to continue in the face of unsustainable pressures."

’What we really need is action today’

The Independent Care Group (ICG) is concerned there is no promise of any more funding which the sector “needs today and tomorrow” to be able to deliver care as well as more “boots on the ground” to cope with the ongoing staffing crisis, alongside the extra pressures of winter.

Mike Padgham, chair of ICG said: “Today’s white paper is welcome, but it is short of support for the here and now, which is what care providers are having to face.

“What we really need is action today. We were already in the eye of a perfect storm, with exhausted and burnt-out carers battling to provide the best care they can as winter sets in; the impact of “no jab, no job” and an inability to recruit from overseas because of Brexit.”

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, says: “Delivering this white paper is going to be very difficult because of some of the major challenges facing the care sector, but we are all committed to starting on a journey that will deliver better outcomes for citizens and long-term sustainability for social care providers.”

’These care heroes are burning out’

The Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has warned the care and support of tens of thousands of older and disabled people is at risk this winter because of widespread staff shortages among care providers unable to match pay rates being offered in other sectors.

Stephen Chandler, president of ADASS said: "The white paper paints a promising picture of a more professionalised care workforce in the future. What we urgently need now is a bridge to that brighter future, to address the immediate crisis and ensure that everyone gets the care and support they need this winter."

Nicola Richards, chair of Sheffield Care Association who recently founded a new organisation, called Support Social Care Heroes, said: "Staffing is the real issue in the social care sector. These are care heroes who have been working at full speed for more than 20 months and are burning out.

"The proof of the success of the social care white paper will be if the sector can pay staff much more and recognise they are a skilled workforce."

Edel Harris, chief executive of the learning disability charity Mencap, said: "Although the £1.7 billion sounds like a lot, very little of it will find its way to the people who use and give care every day.

"We are facing a very tough winter, with many people not getting the care they need and not enough care workers to help them. We urgently need some solutions now or there will be no social care system to fix in the future.”

The government has launched its new social care website detailing what’s changing and how all the reforms will benefit people. To access the website, go to https://engage.dhsc.gov.uk/social-care-reform/