William Eichler 01 February 2017

‘Emergency’ £1bn needed to stabilise social care

The Government should provide councils with an ‘emergency’ £1bn as a short-term solution to the social care crisis, directors of social services say.

In its submission to the 2017 budget, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) urged Whitehall to provide the ‘vital’ funding to address the shortfall in next year’s budgets and stabilise the ‘sufficiency and quality’ of the care market.

Without the new funds, ADASS warned, local authorities would ‘fail to meet their statutory duties’.

The fragile state of the care market is reflected in a recent ADASS survey which found nearly two-thirds (62%) of councils have had residential and nursing home closures, and more than half (57%) have had care providers hand back contracts.

Councils are also projecting a combined overspend on adult social care for 2016/17 of around £441m, a huge rise on the £168m in 2015/16.

‘It is imperative that social care is treated as a national priority because current solutions go nowhere near what is needed to meet the increased needs for, and costs of, care for older and disabled people,’ said Margaret Willcox, president elect of ADASS.

‘A cumulative total of £5.5bn has been cut from council social care budgets by the end of this financial year.

‘If the huge projected council overspends of £441m cannot be funded from savings in other council services or from reserves, even greater reductions in social care services will follow in the next few months and many councils risk failing to meet their statutory duties.’

‘Emergency assistance of £1bn - which is at least what all leading sector experts say is needed to fund adult social care next year - and distributed on a needs based formula, will prevent further deterioration whilst working on a longer term solution, and would go some way towards stabilising the system for councils, providers and the NHS,’ she added.

The true scale of feeling across local government about the escalating social care crisis is revealed by the results of an exclusive survey.

The £37,000 SEND Problem image

The £37,000 SEND Problem

Natalie Kenneison, COO at Imosphere, argues that the real SEND funding crisis isn’t just about budgets - it’s about the systems behind the decisions.
SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Director of Children’s Services (DCS)

Swindon Borough Council
£129,000
Be the DCS you always wanted to be. Swindon, Wiltshire
Recuriter: Swindon Borough Council

Family Support Worker - Disabled Children's Service

Oxfordshire County Council
£30559 - £36124
About Us The Children's Disability Team in the North are seeking to recruit a Family Support Worker to join their service. The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic worker who is passionate about improving outcomes for Disabled children and young Banbury
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council

Prestige Gardener

Wakefield Council
£27,711.00 - £30,559.00, Grade 6, 37 hours, Permanent
An opportunity exists in the Council’s Street Scene Services for a Prestige Gardener Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council

Residential Supervisor x 3 - WMF2163e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£38,220 - £39,152 (pro rata for part time hours)
Our team at Elmhurst are looking for a motivated, friendly, and hard-working individual to join us as a supervisor. Ulverston, Cumbria
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council

ICT Systems and Data Engineer WMF2171e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£42,839 - £44,075
As an ICT Systems and Data Engineer at Westmorland and Furness Council Cumbria / Various
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council
Linkedin Banner