Adult social care | LocalGov


Councils struggling to make case for preventative digital care 29/04/2025 Local authorities are struggling to make the investment case for preventative digital care, according to a commission looking at proactive care services.
Social care providers ‘at risk of collapse’ amid £2.8bn costs rise 22/11/2024 England’s adult social care sector faces extra costs of £2.8bn next year due to changes announced in last month’s Budget, new research has revealed.
Migrant care workers face ‘persistent breaches of employment rights’ 12/11/2024 Migrants working in adult social care have reported facing unsustainable working hours, ‘demoralising’ financial insecurity, and persistent employment rights breaches.
Care for working-age and disabled adults to cost £17bn by 2030 11/11/2024 Social care costs for working-age adults and those with a lifelong disability could reach £17bn by 2030, according to new research.
MPs launch inquiry into cost of failing to fix social care 04/11/2024 MPs have launched an inquiry looking into the costs of failing to fix the struggling adult social care system.
Birmingham day centres set for axe 10/10/2024 Councillors in Birmingham have been advised to approve the closure of four day centres for disabled adults.
Norfolk faces £45m budget gap 01/10/2024 Norfolk County Council is planning millions of pounds of cuts it does ‘not want to make’ in the face of a £44.75m deficit in its budget for next year.
Hampshire CC’s shortfall jumps to £175m 03/09/2024 Hampshire County Council’s projected overall financial shortfall has jumped from £132m to at least £175m.
Councils stuck in social care and hospital ‘doom loop’ 16/07/2024 Over-stretched councils are struggling to meet the increasingly complex social care needs of people being discharged from hospital, a new survey has revealed.
Council introduces DBS checks for members 11/07/2024 West Northamptonshire Council will require all members to receive Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
Council failed in duties over care home closure 08/07/2024 Wokingham Borough Council’s failures over a struggling care home caused distress and anxiety for a woman who had lived there for 16 years, an investigation has found.
NHS debt to council climbs by £11m in a year 02/07/2024 The NHS owes Cambridgeshire County Council £13m for adult social care services, a report has revealed.
‘Talk more’ about social care, party leaders told 21/06/2024 Political parties must do more to acknowledge the value of adult social care in the run up to the General Election, sector leaders have argued.
Labour plan to reduce delayed discharges 20/06/2024 Labour is reportedly planning to buy thousands of beds in care homes in an effort to reduce the problem of delayed discharges in hospitals.
Councils and NHS row over Better Care Fund use 18/06/2024 Some Integrated Care Boards are seeking to challenge the parts of the Better Care Fund earmarked for social care funding, LGA councillors have been told.
Council told to tackle safeguarding backlog 14/06/2024 A Local Government Association peer challenge urged Cumberland Council to take immediate action on a ‘significant’ safeguarding backlog.
Cash-strapped Slough BC faces going £11m over budget 13/06/2024 The leadership of Slough BC should take ‘immediate action’ as the council is at risk of going £11m over budget this year, according to cabinet papers.
Lib Dem bid to fix care and end council funding crisis 10/06/2024 The Lib Dems have pledged multi-year settlements and a cross-party solution for social care to help end councils’ current funding crisis in their manifesto today.
Council bosses call on next government to deliver ‘fundamental reform’ 30/05/2024 Local services could reach ‘breaking point’ if the next government fails to deliver long-term funding and ‘fundamental reform’, a cross-party group of council leaders has argued.
BT: Too many councils failing to engage 21/05/2024 ‘Too many’ councils are failing to engage with telecoms giant BT as it works to switch customers to digital phone lines, the firm has said.
Political battle over National Care Service 25/04/2024 Competing visions of the future of social care have been set out by Labour and the Conservatives as they prepare for a General Election.
New ADASS president calls for community focus 25/04/2024 The new president of the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADASS) has called for a community, rather than a hospital, focus for the sector.
'Grave concerns' over phone switchover 22/03/2024 UK mayors have expressed ‘grave concerns’ about the impact on vulnerable people of the planned phase out of the analogue phone system.
CCN: Two-thirds of council budgets spent on care 18/03/2024 Council chiefs have called for an ‘honest discussion’ about services as new research reveals local authorities spend two-thirds of their budgets on care.
Deprivation of Liberty backlog 'may never be eradicated' 08/03/2024 A report has called for councils to get more resources to tackle the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) backlog.
Stoke-on-Trent warns services may be ‘stripped to the bone’ 26/02/2024 Stoke-on-Trent City Council has warned its budget plans rest on a bid to secure an extra £42.2m in Government funding.
Fears over digital switchover costs 08/01/2024 Councils face multi-million pound bills as a result of the digital switchover of the telephone system.
Regulator praises Bolton care service 08/01/2024 An inspection of Bolton Council’s home support reablement service has found it is effective, caring, and well led.
Manchester leads list for local government in New Year honours 02/01/2024 The chief executives of both Manchester City Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority have been recognised in the New Year Honours List.
Autistic adults without care entitlement face 'breakdown' 05/12/2023 More than 11,000 autistic adults in England are not receiving the care they are legally entitled to, a group of autism charities has found.
New inspections require ‘significant’ work, pilot councils say 01/12/2023 Councils have reported spending 'a huge amount of time and energy' preparing for and undergoing the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) new adult social care assessments.
Council directors call for ministers to ditch 'senseless' immigration crackdown 27/11/2023 An influential group of experts – including council directors – has urged ministers to ditch ‘senseless’ plans to tighten visa requirements for social care and health workers.
Government behind on scaled-back care reforms 10/11/2023 The Government is behind even on its revised plans to overhaul adult social care, a National Audit Office (NAO) report has found.
Meals on wheels ‘heading for UK-wide collapse’ 30/10/2023 The National Association of Care Catering (NACC) has called for meals on wheels to become a statutory responsibility for councils after it found provision of the services continued to fall.
£42m boost for social care innovation 25/10/2023 The Government has announced £42.6m to fund innovative local approaches that improve the quality and accessibility of adult social care.
Hampshire County Council on ‘financial cliff edge’ 05/10/2023 Hampshire CC has warned that cuts to services and job losses are inevitable as the council is facing ‘one of the biggest budget shortfalls in its history’.
Cumberland working to reduce ‘escalating costs’ 26/09/2023 Cumberland Council says it is working hard to control ‘escalating costs’, but it is facing a potential overspend of £17.5m.
Mental health top reason for social care absences 20/09/2023 New research has claimed mental health and stress is the most common reason for social care staff sickness and absence in more than 77% of councils.
Stoke-on-Trent Council at risk of bankruptcy 05/09/2023 Stoke-on-Trent Council has warned that it is on the verge of bankruptcy and called for a ‘national overhaul’ of social care funding.
Auditor finds ‘significant weaknesses’ in Bristol's finances 10/08/2023 ‘Significant weaknesses’ in reducing overspends are threatening Bristol City Council’s financial sustainability, according to its external auditor.
Health backing for police withdrawal delay 08/08/2023 Senior healthcare figures have backed councils’ demand to delay police withdrawal from non-urgent mental health callouts.
Growth in social care workforce but 150,000 vacancies remain 12/07/2023 The number of filled posts in the social care workforce increased by 1% over the last year, but it is estimated there are still more than 150,000 vacancies.
Care England calls for ICS representation 10/07/2023 A report by Care England into the progress of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) has called for provider representatives to be on every partnership or board.
Hancock: Whitehall oversight of care was terrible 27/06/2023 Whitehall oversight of adult social care before Covid-19 was ‘terrible’ and officials had no understanding of whether councils could cope, Matt Hancock admits.
Discharge delays overwhelming hospitals, NAO finds 22/06/2023 Delays to patient discharges have played a key role in overwhelming hospitals, according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO).
Why co-production is key to digitally inclusive services 30/05/2023 Georgina Walton, Adult Social Care, Kent County Council discusses the local authority’s EMPOWERCARE project and its mission to overcome digital exclusion.
Councils 'not ready' for Met's mental health withdrawal 30/05/2023 Councils are not ready for the consequences of the Metropolitan Police Services’ decision to withdraw from non-emergency mental health callouts, experts warn.
General election offers chance to 'raise awareness of social care' 27/04/2023 The ‘looming general election’ offers an ideal chance to showcase and raise awareness of social care with the public, says the new president of ADASS.
Care leaders warn social care system ‘run out of road’ 26/04/2023 Body representing social services directors has published ‘roadmap’ for fixing care and says there is a consensus on what needs to be done but a lack of will.
Peers' warning over supported housing reforms 24/04/2023 Ministers must avoid forcing high-quality supported housing providers from the market in their rush to tackle rogue landlords, peers have warned.
Legal threat forces Devon CC to halt care cuts 17/04/2023 Devon County Council will halt its plans to cut adult day and respite services after the mental health charity Mencap threatened to take legal action.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘It’s time for a new Audit Commission’ 12/04/2023 An ex-senior mandarin has today called for a new Audit Commission as The MJ reveals the draft metrics the Government is considering for its new watchdog.
Hewitt Review calls for social care to be ‘national priority’ 04/04/2023 The former health secretary's report on Integrated Care Systems called for further funding and a workforce strategy for social care.
Care home residents struggle to access NHS dental care 20/03/2023 The proportion of care home providers saying that people who use their services could 'never' access NHS dental care has increased fourfold, regulator finds.
No extra social care funding for struggling councils 13/03/2023 A minister said councils would receive further support if they were found to be in need of improvement under new Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessments.
Bed blocking down by just 3% a month on from £250m plan 22/02/2023 The Government’s £250m initiative to speed up hospital discharges reduced the number of bed blockers by less than 3% in its first month.
Lancashire County Council is set to pass its first £1bn budget 10/02/2023 Members have been told that the current financial outlook was ‘generally positive thanks to careful management’.
Sector given role in NHS plan 31/01/2023 Local government will join an ‘expert group’ with the community sector and care providers to ‘build adult social care capacity’ as part of a new NHS plan.
DLUHC: No more section 114 notices expected 10/01/2023 Whitehall officials are not expecting councils to issue further section 114 notices in the coming weeks, crediting the sector’s ‘positive’ settlement.
Top awards for sector in King Charles III's Honours list 03/01/2023 Local government figures from across the sector have been recognised in the first New Year's Honours list under King Charles III.
CQC delays new care inspections 21/12/2022 The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has announced it is to delay the introduction of its new adult care assessments.
Nottingham bids to close £11m budget gap 21/12/2022 Nottingham City Council has introduced spending controls as the authority attempts to rein in an overspend of more than £11m.
Adult care services 'invisible,' claim peers 06/12/2022 The Adult Social Care Committee said society’s understanding of adult social care was ‘partial and often flawed’ and the sector needed ‘long-term funding’.
Counties issue ICS warning 21/11/2022 Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) must not become yet another NHS reorganisation to work around, chairman of the County Councils’ Network (CCN) has warned.
Majority of directors warn needs of older and disabled people will not be met this winter 15/11/2022 The majority of councils do not have the funding or staff to meet the care needs of older and disabled people this winter, a new survey has warned today.
Survey of care workers reveals 'staggering epidemic' of loneliness 10/11/2022 Nearly half a million (485,000) vulnerable and elderly people only have social contact with their care worker, a new survey has found.
Charity warns of 'perfect storm' for carer breakdown 09/11/2022 The health of unpaid carers and the people they support is deteriorating due to serious difficulties getting the NHS treatment they need, a new survey has revealed.
Care in crisis: CQC reveals stark issues ahead 21/10/2022 The care system is in crisis and staff now live with the risk their patients will come to harm, the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual report has revealed.
Counties welcome care reform delay reports 19/10/2022 County councils have reacted to reports the Government is to push back social care reforms by at least a year.
Abolition of social care levy survives Budget bonfire 17/10/2022 The abolition of the health and care levy is now the only major part of the discredited mini-Budget to survive after new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt today junked most of the other tax cuts in a dramatic announcement.
Councils face ‘battle to balance budgets’ 09/09/2022 PM Liz Truss should use any emergency budget to address the inflation cost pressures facing council budgets and the social care crisis, council chiefs say.
Social care reform – amplifying the voices of experts by experience 07/09/2022 Chelsea Lovall, expert by experience and Quality Consultant for Dimensions UK, discusses the priorities for reforming adult social care.
York reviews elderly care amid watchdog criticism 09/08/2022 City of York Council has agreed to review its handling of an elderly care plan for a vulnerable couple after a rebuke from the sector’s ombudsman.
Government not even close to ‘rescuing’ social care 03/08/2022 The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee said billions of pounds ‘urgently’ needed to be injected into the system to meet both short-term and long-term needs.
Oxfordshire becomes latest trailblazer for social care reform 25/07/2022 Oxfordshire County Council has become the sixth local authority to become a trailblazer for the government’s social care reform.
Filled posts in adult social care are down for the first time 21/07/2022 The number of filled posts in adult social care is down for the first time on record, highlighting recruitment challenges, a new report has found.
Social care faces 'most challenging year' 19/07/2022 Inflation and a labour market crisis are expected to add to long-term pressures caused by austerity and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ (ADASS) spring survey has found.
Care warning after elderly 'population boom' 15/07/2022 A ‘population boom’ of over-65s is piling pressure on adult care services, county councils have warned.
Poor pay and terms and conditions making it hard to recruit PAs, survey shows 13/07/2022 More than three-quarters of people who employ a personal assistant to help with their care needs are finding it harder to find and retain one, a new survey has found.
Minister delays self-funding care reforms 07/07/2022 Residential care self-funders will not be able to ask their council to arrange care for them at the lower local authority rate until April 2025, minister Gillian Keegan has announced.
North-South self-funding split revealed 07/07/2022 The South East has the highest proportion of self-funders in community care services and the North East the lowest, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Council chiefs warn of 'disastrous' financial crisis 27/06/2022 More councils could be tipped into financial crisis while others face emergency cuts due to soaring inflation and living wage increases, the LGA warned today.
Local government austerity linked to poor health 24/06/2022 Local authority cuts have been a significant driver of poor health outcomes at the local level, according to new research.
Only one third of carers ‘very satisfied’ with support 24/06/2022 Only around one third of carers reported feeling very or extremely satisfied with support and services last year, a new survey has revealed.
Report highlights 'worrying' gap of 50,000 homes in housing-with-care 16/06/2022 Scotland faces a supply gap of 50,000 homes in housing-with-care, and this shortfall will only get worse, a new report has warned.
Councils to receive over £15m to fund social care reforms 16/06/2022 The Government has announced a multi-million-pound package aimed at helping local authorities prepare for adult social care charging reform in October 2023.
Counties in inflation funding call 14/06/2022 County councils have called for extra Government funding to cope with huge increases caused by inflation.
Adult social care reforms could cost nearly £26bn 25/05/2022 Adult social care reforms could cost a minimum of £10bn more than currently estimated and will require over 4,000 new social work staff, new study reveals.
Advisers call for minimum pay to ease care workforce crisis 27/04/2022 The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has said the Government should foot the bill for a minimum rate of £10.50 per hour for care workers in England.
Adult social care workforce receives £500m boost 05/04/2022 People working in adult social care in England are set to benefit from a £500m boost that will go towards improving the recruitment and retention of staff.
Care homes could face 'widespread closures' under reforms, counties warn 18/03/2022 Care homes are at risk of closure as the Government has ‘seriously underestimated’ the cost of its social care reforms, county councils have warned today.
Review launched to assess shortfall in housing-with-care options 08/03/2022 A review to assess the level of unmet need for housing-with-care for older people in the UK has been launched.
Dorset Council to set up adult social care company 07/03/2022 Dorset Council has agreed to set up a new company to deliver adult social care services.
Warnings over unmet care needs 01/03/2022 Social care services could be put under further pressure due to unmet needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research.
'Underfunded' adult social care reforms put services at risk, warn councils 25/02/2022 The underfunding of social care reforms will put the quality and availability of services at risk, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
Care cap will fail to help poorer pensioners, charity warns 10/02/2022 More than four out of five older people will not benefit from the Government's social care cap, a charity has warned.
Government set to scrap mandatory vaccines for care staff 01/02/2022 The Government is considering scrapping compulsory COVID vaccines for health and care workers in England.
Restrictions on care home visitors to be removed 27/01/2022 There will be no limit on visits to care homes and self-isolation periods will be cut from Monday, the Government has announced.
Cornwall declares critical care incident 19/01/2022 Cornwall Council has declared a critical incident in adult social care.
Half of councils forced to ration care, survey reveals 14/01/2022 Staff shortages have forced more than of councils in England to ration social care and support, a new survey has revealed.