social care


Spending Review: NHS receives £3bn funding boost 25/11/2020 The chancellor has announced £18bn will be spent on preventative coronavirus measures next year, including vaccines, testing and PPE.
London boroughs face £600m adult social care shortfall by 2025 23/11/2020 Local authorities in London have called on the Government to ensure adult social care receives the same funding increases as the NHS in the upcoming spending review.
Social services directors report unprecedented demand for help 23/11/2020 Directors of adult social services have reported a sharp rise in demand in the wake of the pandemic, according to a new survey.
Care home study to test immune response to COVID-19 ‘tripled in size’ 19/11/2020 The Government has announced that it is expanding the Vivaldi study to test thousands more care home staff and residents for immune response to coronavirus.
Ombudsman tells council to review its housing allocations policy 19/11/2020 East Lindsay District Council agreed to review its housing allocations policy to ensure it meets its equality duties following investigation by the Ombudsman.
County councils warn of insolvency risk without frontline cuts 12/11/2020 Only a fifth of England's largest councils are confident they can deliver a balanced budget next year without dramatic reduction to services, a new survey has revealed.
Think tank calls for new health and social care tax 11/11/2020 A new health and social care tax raising £17bn should be the centrepiece of sweeping tax increases to raise £40bn a year, according to a new report from think-tank the Resolution Foundation.
Charity calls for wage parity between care and NHS workers 09/11/2020 Care workers should be paid the same as people doing the equivalent job in the NHS, a charity has said.
Coalition calls for pay rise for social care staff 02/11/2020 A £3.9bn emergency support fund is needed to get the care sector through the second wave of the pandemic, a coalition has said today.
Council chiefs welcome proposed £7bn social care investment 22/10/2020 Local government leaders have welcomed a call from MPs for a £7bn annual increase in social care funding as a first step towards fixing the ongoing care crisis.
Housing-with-care is 'critically low', report warns 22/10/2020 The UK has an ‘acute’ lack of housing-with-care for older people, a report has warned.
More than 110,000 job vacancies in social care, report finds 21/10/2020 Analysis shows that 7.3% of adult social care roles in England were vacant in 2019/20, equivalent to 112,000 vacancies at any one time.
Government launches £3m supported housing pilot 20/10/2020 The Government has announced that £3m will go to fund pilots in five areas aimed at improving the quality, enforcement, oversight and value for money in supported housing.
Unpaid carers 'desperately worried' about further lockdowns, survey reveals 20/10/2020 Unpaid carers are being pushed to 'breaking point' due to reduced services, a charity has warned today.
COVID 'magnifying' health and care inequalities 16/10/2020 The coronavirus pandemic has ‘exacerbated’ existing problems in social care and magnified health inequalities, a report has warned today.
Welsh councils spend ‘several millions of pounds’ extra on shared electronic record 15/10/2020 The implementation and roll-out of a community care information system in Wales is taking much longer and proving costlier than expected, auditors say.
Carers added to list of occupations hit by migration restrictions 30/09/2020 Senior care workers should be added to a list of occupations which will be able to employ migrants to make up for labour shortages once freedom of movement ends, an advisory committee says.
Starmer vows to tackle the 'decade of drift' on sorting social care 22/09/2020 Government failure to protect care homes during the pandemic is a ‘national scandal’, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told his party’s virtual conference today.
A perfect storm for care homes 16/09/2020 Iain MacBeath, strategic director, health and wellbeing at Bradford City Council, looks at the challenges facing the adult social care sector.
Ombudsman calls for 'level playing field' 15/09/2020 ‘Weak’ social care providers are avoiding public accountability, the local government ombudsman has said.
Care home providers warned of Covid-19 rise 14/09/2020 Department of Health & Social Care has written to care home providers in England warning them of the risk of a rise in coronavirus cases in the care sector.
Councils 'deeply concerned' about fall in children's social care referrals 07/09/2020 The number of children being referred to social care services fell by a fifth during lockdown, council leaders have warned.
Social care spending is £600m lower than in 2010, finds TUC 07/09/2020 Adult social care spending in England is £600m lower per year compared to a decade ago, new research has found.
Think tank proposes pension-style social care system 01/09/2020 A pension-style model is the most effective way of fixing the social care crisis, a new report from a think tank has argued.
Countywide unitaries ‘could save £3bn’ 27/08/2020 Replacing two-tier counties with one unitary authority could deliver almost £3bn savings over five years, according to research published by the County Councils Network (CCN) today.
NHS leaders call for urgent action on social care 20/08/2020 Patients could be stranded in hospital and routine operations could be delayed unless the Government addresses the social care crisis, leading health organisations have warned.
Obesity stigma fuelling ‘severe impact’ on adult social care 20/08/2020 Weight-related stigmas need tackling to help prevent rising levels of obesity having a significant impact on adult social care, local authority leaders say.
Kent reaches capacity to safely care for migrant children 18/08/2020 Kent County Council has warned it has reached its capacity to safely care for any more unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Employers call for more support to keep unpaid carers in work 11/08/2020 Two-thirds of employers have warned that a lack of support for unpaid carers is impacting their workforce, according to new research.
Researchers warn about 'lost decade' in adult social care 10/08/2020 Adult social care has reached breaking point after policymakers failed to act on alarms raised back in 2010, researchers have warned today.
Councils warned about discriminating against autistic children 06/08/2020 More than 40 councils have been criticised for unlawfully discriminating against autistic children.
Progress on health and social care pledges to be rated under new system 05/08/2020 The Government's progress on health and social care pledges will be evaluated under a new rating system, the Health and Social Care Committee has announced.
Extra £50m funding for Scottish social care 04/08/2020 Social care in Scotland will be given a £50m funding boost to help meet the cost of the coronavirus crisis.
Adult social care in Wales gets extra funding boost 03/08/2020 Adult social care providers in Wales will receive an extra £22.7m in funding to help cover the cost of the coronavirus crisis.
Adult specialist care 'robust' in face of pandemic 31/07/2020 Adult specialist care has ‘stood up well’ to the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, a report has found today.
Counties warn oversight of social care must remain with councils 30/07/2020 County councils have warned against a ‘knee-jerk’ centralisation of the social care system in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis.
Care technology can no longer be a managed leap of faith 30/07/2020 Robert Turnbull explains how Hampshire CC is using cobots to improve adult social care during the pandemic.
Thousands of people 'wiped out' by care bills, charity warns 24/07/2020 Fourteen people a day are being wiped out financially by care bills, new research has revealed today.
Third of social workers looking to quit profession, survey reveals 10/07/2020 A third of social workers are are thinking of leaving the profession putting the system at risk of collapse, new research has warned.
New support for 'unseen' vulnerable children 09/07/2020 A new service to help vulnerable children and young people who don't meet usual social care thresholds has been launched by a coalition of charities.
Government 'failed to prepare' on PPE, say MPs 08/07/2020 The Government has failed to ensure there is enough personal protective equipment (PPE) in the event of a second wave of coronavirus, a watchdog has warned today.
Care chiefs reject Boris' COVID claims 07/07/2020 Care chiefs have rejected claims by Boris Johnson that it was their lack of vigilance that led to a high number of coronavirus deaths in care homes.
Care homes were an ‘afterthought’ during pandemic, watchdog warns 12/06/2020 A new report has warned that around 25,000 people were discharged from hospital into a care home without being tested for coronavirus at the height of the pandemic.
Older carers ‘forgotten’ by care system says charity 12/06/2020 Older carers have been ‘forgotten’ by authorities despite them bearing the brunt of the pandemic, a charity has warned today.
More funding will not fix 'broken' social care system, says think tank 09/06/2020 New taxes or extra spending are not enough to fix the 'dysfunctional' social care system, a think tank has said.
Launch of coronavirus social care taskforce 09/06/2020 The Government has announced a new social care taskforce to help the sector through the coronavirus crisis.
Care home residents facing 'coronavirus bill' 08/06/2020 Some care home residents have been forced to pay a 'coronavirus bill’ of up to £100 a week by their provider, a charity has warned.
Coronavirus bereavement scheme extended to social care workers 21/05/2020 The families of migrant care workers who have fallen victim to COVID-19 will be allowed to remain in the country indefinitely.
Most councils take action to help providers with temporary cost pressures 19/05/2020 Nearly all (97%) of councils are taking action to address temporary cost pressures being experienced by social care providers, a new survey has revealed.
Pan-London partnership for PPE launched 19/05/2020 A new pan-London partnership has been established to provide personal protective equipment or care homes and other frontline services.
Covid-19 care homes deaths 51% higher than estimated 15/05/2020 The number of care home residents who have died from coronavirus is more than 50% higher than previously estimated, figures today have revealed.
Councils face £10bn funding 'black hole' 14/05/2020 Councils could be forced to cut billions from social care services due to £10bn 'coronavirus black hole', Labour has warned today.
Local Resilience Forums running out of PPE supplies, charity warns 13/05/2020 A charity has warned Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) are still struggling to supply enough personal protective equipment to social care providers.
Covid-19 death rates significantly higher for social care workers 11/05/2020 Men and women working in social care both have significantly raised rates of death involving COVID-19, according to new analysis from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Only 22% of social care workers have been able to access Covid-19 testing 06/05/2020 Less than a quarter of social care workers have been able to access testing for Covid-19, a new survey has revealed.
Counties call for clarity on how coronavirus cash will be allocated 28/04/2020 County councils have called for clarity on how the latest round of emergency cash to deal with the coronavirus crisis will be split.
Councils must urgently allocate funding to social care providers, report warns 28/04/2020 Funding given to local authorities to deal with the coronavirus crisis must urgently get through to independent adult social care services, a new report has warned.
One in five healthcare workers could quit in wake of Covid-19, think tank warns 23/04/2020 Healthcare could face a staffing crisis after it was revealed on in five healthcare professionals are more likely to leave following the pandemic.
Think tank argues social care should be 'free at point of use' after Covid-19 22/04/2020 The Government has been urged to use the coronavirus crisis to undertake long term social care reform, in a new report by the Policy Exchange.
Jenrick moves to ease cash flow pressures 16/04/2020 New measures to help ease immediate financial pressures faced by councils in England due to the coronavirus outbreak have been announced by the Government.
More PPE promised for social care 15/04/2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has promised to increase supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to social care.
Risk and resilience around Covid-19 15/04/2020 Kella Bowers outlines the potential for future civil liability in social care.
Coronavirus testing to be rolled out across social care sector 15/04/2020 The Government has pledged to offer testing for coronavirus to all social care staff and care home residents.
Care England hits out at 'insufficient' funding increase 09/04/2020 Care England has branded the 10% funding increase for care homes as ‘derisory’ and warned many providers could collapse.
Care providers in law change call 01/04/2020 Care providers have pleaded with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to change the law to boost staff numbers in the sector during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Court finds woman has capacity to decide about contact with husband 26/03/2020 The High Court today ruled that a woman with a relatively rare form of dementia has the capacity to make decisions for herself when it comes to her husband.
Hancock announces free parking for NHS staff 26/03/2020 The Government has announced NHS trusts are to receive financial support to provide health care workers with free car parking during the coronavirus pandemic.
‘Social care needs you’, retired care workers told 26/03/2020 Council chiefs urge retired care workers to return to work in order to boost an over-stretched social care workforce in the face of the ongoing pandemic.
Social workers ‘urgently’ need hand sanitizer, survey reveals 25/03/2020 Social workers have called on the Government to provide them with safety equipment in order to minimize the risk of contracting and spreading the coronavirus.
Health and social care workers first in line for coronavirus testing, Holyrood says 25/03/2020 Health and social care workers in Scotland must be prioritized when it comes to testing for Covid-19, Holyrood has announced.
Scottish council chiefs welcome extra social care support 24/03/2020 Local authority leaders have welcomed the Scottish government’s commitment to give extra support to councils to support social care in the face of Covid-19.
Government issues guidance on isolation for residential educational settings 23/03/2020 Social workers who need to investigate child protection concerns should be admitted to the home while taking infection control measures, according to guidance.
£3bn bed blocking coronavirus cash injection 19/03/2020 Almost £3bn of the Government’s £5bn Covid-19 funding will go towards freeing up at least 15,000 English hospital beds by the end of next week, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced.
Covid-19 forces Ombudsman to suspend services 19/03/2020 The body tasked with investigating complaints against local authorities has temporarily suspended its services due to the impact of Coronavirus.
Councils to be fully funded for coronavirus costs 18/03/2020 Councils in England will be fully funded for implementing measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, the chancellor has confirmed.
Social care inspections halted to focus on the ‘global health emergency’ 17/03/2020 The social care regulator in England has announced it will be stopping all inspections in order to focus on supporting providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yorkshire council criticises Ofsted rating based on ‘short inspection visit’ 16/03/2020 A local authority in Yorkshire has said it is ‘disappointed’ by an Ofsted rating of its children’s social care services which concluded they were ‘inadequate’.
Leaving nothing to chance 12/03/2020 The ‘levelling-up’ Budget is era-defining and ambitious in scope – but we will have to wait until the summer Spending Review to understand the blueprint, says Localis’s Jonathan Werran.
Budget 2020: £5bn emergency fund to fight coronavirus 11/03/2020 The Government has promised to deliver a £5bn emergency fund to help manage the extra pressures the NHS and social care are facing in the wake of coronavirus.
Social care ‘crisis’ inquiry launched 10/03/2020 A Parliamentary inquiry has been launched to find out what needs to be done to solve the ongoing social care funding and workforce crisis.
Government to give volunteers job protection to help fight coronavirus 09/03/2020 New measures to make it easier for volunteers to help support health and social care services have been introduced by the Government in the fight against the coronavirus.
Councils report 'huge overspends' on social care 04/03/2020 More than eight out of ten councils overspent on children's social care last year, with nearly half (47%) spending more than their adult social care budget, new figures have shown.
Care leaders must promote ‘awareness’ of good practice in sexual safety 27/02/2020 Care leaders should promote a culture that keeps people in social care safe from sexual abuse and supports them in expressing their sexuality, regulator says.
Maintaining performance 27/02/2020 The 15 strongest performing councils in adult social care have been highlighted in IMPOWER’s latest productivity INDEX. Ralph Cook looks at the results.
Cornwall Council announces ‘ground-breaking’ joint leadership role 25/02/2020 Cornwall Council has announced a joint agreement with NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group as part of a new approach to working on social care, health commissioning and public health services.
Carers of MS sufferers provide ‘35 hours or more’ of unpaid care a week 25/02/2020 Family members and friends who are providing unpaid care to loved ones with multiple sclerosis are ‘not getting the support they need’, according to new research.
Think tank launches £3m fund to support community ‘wellbeing’ 21/02/2020 A think tank has launched a £3m fund to empower community organisations and the health and care sector to work together to boost community wellbeing.
Handyperson Services ‘unsung heroes’ in supporting independent living 20/02/2020 A new report has called for the work done by Handyperson Services in keeping vulnerable people safe to be fully recognised by commissioners.
Experts decry ‘lack of consideration’ given to social care in immigration reform 19/02/2020 Local authority leaders and health care experts have warned that the Government’s introduction of a points-based immigration system could be detrimental to an already struggling social care system.
Research highlights under-funding of independent care homes 11/02/2020 Care homes operated by local authorities receive over 40% more in weekly fees than independent homes, despite no difference in standards or quality of care, research has shown.
Care denied to 700,000 older people, charity reveals 07/02/2020 Around 700,000 older people have had their request for care turned down in the past year, analysis by a charity has discovered.
Commission puts health devolution back on political agenda 03/02/2020 A new Commission calling for the devolution of health and social care services has been launched today.
Think tank launches new strategy to tackle ‘poor health outcomes’ 24/01/2020 The King’s Fund has announced a new strategy which places a ‘stronger focus’ on improving health and care services for people who currently have the poorest health outcomes.
Dementia patients being 'stranded' in hospitals 22/01/2020 More than 1,000 people with dementia are being admitted into A&E every day, new data has revealed.
Union calls for Sanctuary Care homes to be brought ‘back in-house’ 14/01/2020 Unite is urging councils who have contracts with Sanctuary Care to bring them ‘in-house’ after a criminal investigation was launched into one of its homes.
Thirty councils accused of ‘short changing’ independent care homes 13/01/2020 A charity has found 30 councils are paying less than £500 a week for an older person in an independent residential care home, the equivalent of just £2.97 per hour.
Report calls for end of 'age apartheid' 07/01/2020 Radical action is needed to create ‘a country for all ages’ by 2030, according to a report published today.
Council warns of 78 job cuts 07/01/2020 Stoke-on-Trent City Council has outlined plans to cut 78 jobs as part of plans to save £9.2m by 2021.
Councils thank ‘festive force’ of care workers 24/12/2019 Local authority leaders in London have thanked the 22,000 care workers who will be working on Christmas day this year.
Half of young carers ‘feel responsible’ for providing a good Christmas 20/12/2019 Nearly half of young carers feel responsible for giving their family a good Christmas, according to a new survey.

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