Only one in seven of the British public are satisfied with ‘broken, complicated and fragmented social care services’, according to a report by two leading think tanks.
Analysis by the Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund reveals that dissatisfaction has been growing after ‘decades of woeful neglect’.
The analysis reveals that just 14% of the 3,362 people questioned said they were very or quite satisfied with social care. Of these, only 2% were very satisfied.
Dissatisfaction rose significantly to 57% of respondents – up from 50% in the previous year – and reached its highest level recorded.
They found the most common reason for dissatisfaction was people not getting all the social care they need.
Respondents to the survey were also dissatisfied with social care because of inadequate pay, working conditions and training of staff and the lack of support for unpaid carers.
More than a third said social care was not affordable to those who need it.
Laura Schlepper of the Nuffield Trust said the results of the analysis were ‘troubling’.
‘The reasons behind plummeting and record-low satisfaction appear to be the product of decades of woeful neglect,’ she said.
‘Broken, complicated and fragmented services, demoralised staff in short supply and the increasing strain on friends, family, and informal carers to pick up the pieces all create a sobering reality.
‘These results are yet another reason for politicians to replace words with action on social care reform.’
