EXCLUSIVE: Sajid Javid meets care leaders to hear 'concerns' about social care funding

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid has met care leaders representing care homes and home care services for a “constructive discussion” and to “reassure them” in light of their concerns about funding for social care.

In an exclusive interview, the minister told carehome.co.uk, he had met with care leaders at the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) office in Westminster on Friday 13 May to discuss the government's adult social care reform plans.

Care leaders attending included Vic Rayner chief executive of the National Care Forum (NCF), Martin Green chief executive of Care England, Jane Townson chief executive of the Homecare Association, Nadra Ahmed chair of the National Care Association, Sarah McClinton President of ADASS and Age UK’s charity director Caroline Abrahams.

Sajid Javid said: “I met with leaders across social care for an open and constructive discussion about our ambitious adult social care reform plans and how we can work together to move forward with the changes set out in our White Paper, People at the Heart of Care.

Sajid Javid: ’I know there have been some concerns’

“Backed by £5.4 billion from the new Health and Social Care Levy, our reform plan includes £3.6 billion to make the charging system fairer and more generous and to support local authorities’ move towards paying a fair cost of care. I’m proud that, from October 2023, people will no longer face unpredictable personal care costs.

“I know there have been some concerns around the funding for this, but I want to reassure the sector that our funding model has been through extensive peer review and we’re working hard to deliver a smooth national transition into the new system with five supporting trailblazer local authorities.”

New social care charging reform system

England's five "trailblazer" local authorities - Wolverhampton, Blackpool, Cheshire East, Newham and North Yorkshire - will put in place a new adult social care charging reform system next January to ensure a smooth transition from the current system, ahead of a national rollout in October next year.

The reforms include a new lifetime cap of £86,000 on the amount people in England will need to spend on their personal care, alongside a more generous means test for local authority financial support.

From October 2023, no one starting to receive care will pay more than £86,000 over their lifetime, and no one with assets of less than £20,000 will have to make a contribution from their savings or housing assets – up from £14,250. Anyone with assets between £20,000 and £100,000 will be eligible for some means-tested support.

During the roundtable talks, care leaders also spoke to Mr Javid about social care’s recruitment crisis and what the government could do to help, particularly when it comes to recruiting more men and younger people into the care workforce.

Mr Javid said: “I know care staff work incredibly hard, and especially so during the unprecedented pressure of the pandemic. That’s why, just last week, we increased funding for nursing in care homes to help providers and nurses to support tens of thousands of care home residents with nursing needs, including those with learning and physical disabilities.”

The minister said the money comes on top of an investment of at least £500 million into the workforce to help staff retention, support staff with wellbeing and encourage new people to join the sector.

After the roundtable discussion, Martin Green, chief executive of Care England said: “It was really good to have an opportunity to talk directly to the Secretary of State particularly about the reform agenda.

"And I think one of the things that I was really impressed by was the way in which everybody was trying to work together to make sure that at the end of this we have a better system than the one we’ve currently got.”

Minister: 'Cannot be accomplished overnight'

Mr Javid also talked to care leaders about “the importance of digitisation and integration of the health and social care services to level up the health and social care system" as laid out in the integration White Paper.

The government has stated it is investing at least £150 million of additional funding to embed technology and achieve widespread digitisation across social care.

Mr Javid said this is “vital” in supporting independent living, helping people who need care to live at home and empowering those who can use digital technology as part of their care to have more freedom.

On social care reform, he added: “This type of genuinely transformational change cannot be accomplished overnight, but I’m proud to be working with my colleagues across government to deliver this once in a lifetime reform of adult social care. With central and local governments working together alongside industry leaders and experts, these ambitious plans will become a reality.”