William Eichler 07 December 2022

Charity calls for better social care support from councils

Charity calls for better social care support from councils  image
Image: Pressmaster/Shutterstock.com.

Almost four in five people in England say they know little to nothing about how paying for social care services works, an older person’s charity has found.

The charity Independent Age has called on the Government to do more to help local authorities deliver social care services in response to a poll that found wide spread confusion on how to access support.

A YouGov poll of nearly 2,000 people has found that 78% of respondents know little to nothing about how to pay for social care services, and less than half said they would feel confident arranging social care for themselves or someone they know.

Commissioned by Independent Age, the survey found that only half (51%) of those who had sought information from their local authority in the past five years felt the information they had been provided was helpful.

Fewer than one in 10 (9%) said they recalled seeing information in their community about how the social care system works.

Half (50%) of respondents who have spoken to the council found it difficult to get in touch with the person they needed to talk to about their care.

Morgan Vine, head of Policy and Influencing for Independent Age, said: ‘Most people need to access care at a time of real crisis for them personally or someone they are close to. There is a risk that people in later life in this situation will be failed if they aren’t able to access information and advice when they need it.

‘If people in later life and their families don’t know who to contact or how to find the information, it can be very distressing. Many people Independent Age speaks to face similar difficulties around accessing or understanding the information provided, across different local authorities. It is essential this changes.’

She continued: ‘We recognise that local authorities across the country face severe financial pressures, huge staffing shortages, and many other significant challenges, but our research shows that there are improvements that can be made.

‘We are calling on national Government and local authorities to act now to ensure information and advice around social care is improved for everyone who needs it. The social care system desperately requires more funding, all staff who interact with people in need of care need support to have a basic understanding of how the system works, and clear and accessible information should be provided across the country.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Senior Administrator

Amey
Competitive Salary
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Depot Administrator to join our Severn Bridges Inspection and Maintenance (SBIM) contract in Bristol. Bristol
Recuriter: Amey

Highways Maintenance Operative

Amey
Competitive Salary
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Highways Maintenance Operative to join our in Area 10– Strategic Highways account . Runcorn
Recuriter: Amey

Planner - Highways

Amey
Competitive Salary
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Planner to join our dynamic Severn Bridges Inspection and Maintenance (SBIM) team. Aust, GB, BS35 4BD
Recuriter: Amey

Assistant Gardener

Wakefield Council
£24,790.00 - £25,183.00, Grade 4, 37 hours, Permanent
An opportunity exists in the Council’s Street Scene Services for an Assistant Gardener Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council

Care Assistant x2

Wakefield Council
£13,400.00 - £13,612.43, Grade 4, 20 hours, Permanent
We are looking for two experienced Care Assistants as part of our Dovecote Lodge Care Team. Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council
Linkedin Banner

Partner Content

Circular highways is a necessity not an aspiration – and it’s within our grasp

Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.

Support from Effective Energy Group for Local Authorities to Deliver £430m Sustainable Warmth Funded Energy Efficiency Projects

Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.

Pay.UK – the next step in Bacs’ evolution

Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.