social care


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.
Visionary housing for the elderly 19/12/2019 A project in London has linked private and public sectors to provide quality care for older people alongside a block of luxury apartments, Mark Whitehead says.
'Ambitious programme of domestic reform' promised in Queen's Speech 19/12/2019 The second Queen’s Speech in almost as many months has promised an ‘ambitious programme of domestic reform’.
Elderly save the state £23bn a year by providing unpaid care 19/12/2019 A new study has revealed how some of the oldest in society save the health and care system £23bn a year by providing free care to loved ones.
‘Inadequate’ West Sussex children’s services moved to trust 18/12/2019 West Sussex County Council’s children’s services have been moved into an independent trust after Ofsted found they were ‘inadequate’.
Children’s home closed due to safeguarding concerns 17/12/2019 A specialist children’s home in Gloucestershire has temporarily closed because of safeguarding and safety concerns.
Foster carers experience high-levels of ‘burnout’, study reveals 16/12/2019 Psychologists have called for more support to be provided to foster carers after a new study reveals the extent of ‘burnout’ in the sector.
PM told to ‘reset the dial for local government’ 16/12/2019 Local government professionals have written to the new Prime Minister urging him to provide councils with ‘immediate’ financial certainty for next year.
In a nutshell: What the election result means for local government 13/12/2019 With the Conservative party securing its biggest majority since the 1980s, what does this mean for local government?
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2019 10/12/2019 From calls to a 10% pay rise for council staff to declaring a climate change emergency, here is our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2019.
Council fined £500,000 after death of woman with dementia 10/12/2019 A council has been fined half a million pounds and has apologised following the death at one of their care homes of a woman with dementia.
Majority of people support tax rises to solve social care crisis 06/12/2019 Two thirds of people want tax increases to pay for health and social care, a new poll has revealed.
Major parties ‘fall short’ on social care funding commitments 04/12/2019 None of the three major parties have pledged enough in social care funding to fix the ongoing crisis in care provision, a health think tank has concluded.
Voters face 'stark choice' on public spending - IFS 29/11/2019 The choice could not be clearer on public spending plans by the main political parties according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Two thirds of adults ‘unpaid carers’, study reveals 22/11/2019 Two thirds of UK adults can expect to care unpaid for a loved one in their lifetime, according to research from the universities of Sheffield and Birmingham.
Blueprint for social care reform puts ‘relationships over bureaucracy’ 20/11/2019 A new model for social care promises to 'put relationships over bureaucracy'.
Nearly 500,000 children ‘worried’ about mental health 20/11/2019 Almost half a million children who are worried about their feelings or behaviour are not asking anyone for help, according to campaigners.
Guide to help councils look after people with ‘several health problems’ published 19/11/2019 A new guidebook shows how people with several health problems can best be looked after by local authorities and other agencies working together.
One and a half million older people have ‘unmet care needs’, charity warns 11/11/2019 The number of older people with unmet care needs stands at one and a half million and could rise to over two million in the next decade, a charity has warned.
Failure of £350m Four Seasons deal proof social care is not ‘properly’ funded 25/10/2019 The failure to sell the struggling social care provider, Four Seasons, is further proof that the Government is not funding social care properly, union says.
NHS study reveals ‘growing’ pressure on social care sector 23/10/2019 Charity calls for ‘urgent solution’ to the care crisis as study reveals councils received two million new requests for adult social care support last year.
£2m loneliness fund launched 15/10/2019 The Government has launched a new £2m fund to help support grassroots organisations at the frontline of tackling loneliness.
Calls for free social care across Wales 30/09/2019 Social care should be free at the point of need for everyone in Wales, a commission has argued today.
No-deal Brexit presents 'risk' to health and social care sectors 27/09/2019 There is a risk that care homes and the NHS will be unable to access vital medicines in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the public spending watchdog has warned today.
Council chiefs call for devolution process to be ‘reignited’ 20/09/2019 The Government must 'reignite the devolution process' to give all parts of England more powers and funding, council leaders have demanded.
Over 300,000 people forced to sell homes to pay for care 19/09/2019 Over the last 20 years hundreds of thousands of older people have been forced to sell their home to cover the cost of social care, charity reveals.
Ombudsman upholds two thirds of care complaints 19/09/2019 But despite this complaints about care have fallen and in the vast majority of cases his recommendations are carried out, council leaders say.
Social care advice ‘varies’ across Wales, watchdog says 12/09/2019 Standards of advice and help with social care vary from one council to another in Wales, according to the official watchdog.
Funding to train nurses should be expanded to public health workers, council chiefs say 11/09/2019 Funding to train nurses should be expanded to cover public health workers including health visitors and school nurses, the Local Government Association says.
Spending Round 2019: Chancellor pledges £1.5bn 'down payment' for social care 04/09/2019 Councils will have access to £1.5bn of new funding for social care next year, the chancellor has announced.
Health charity warns of ‘systematic failure’ in adult social care 30/08/2019 The Government must spend an extra £7.5bn a year by 2023/24 to stabilise and reform adult social care in England, a new report has argued.
Social care services to be decommissioned unless funding confirmed 30/08/2019 County leaders have warned councils will soon start to decommission services unless social care funding is confirmed by Whitehall.
Council apologises for leaving family in ‘overcrowded conditions’ for 10 years 29/08/2019 Lancashire CC has apologised after a woman and her family were left living in what the LGO described as ‘significantly overcrowded conditions’ for 10 years.
Council services ‘declining’ due to £5bn funding gap, MPs say 21/08/2019 MPs have accused the Government of being ‘derelict in its duty’ by failing to set out a funding settlement that would ease the pressure on frontline services.
Government should ‘prioritise’ accessible house building, charity says 25/07/2019 Better advice and support is needed to help people move into a more suitable home in later life, according to housing experts.
Impact of Integrated Care Fund 'remains unclear' 18/07/2019 The impact of the Integrated Care Fund in Wales remains ‘unclear’ despite a £385m investment, the Auditor General has warned today.
Next PM has ‘100 days’ to save local government 15/07/2019 A think tank has called on the next Prime Minister to announce a one year emergency local government finance settlement during their first 100 days in office.
Whitehall announces £135m for health and social care system 11/07/2019 The Government has announced a multi-million pound investment to help tackle the biggest issues facing health and social care over the next five years.
Dementia sufferers spend £15bn while waiting for care reforms 09/07/2019 Long-term sustainable funding must be provided to help support people with dementia, local government leaders have demanded.
Over half of unpaid carers ‘unable’ to save for retirement 09/07/2019 Funding cuts are making it increasingly difficult to support unpaid carers, local government leaders have warned.
Councils demand social care green paper within ten weeks 04/07/2019 Council leaders have demanded the Government to publish the much-delayed social care green paper before Parliament goes into recess in September.
MPs call for £8bn to be invested into ‘struggling’ care system 04/07/2019 MPs have called on the Government to inject £8bn into the struggling social care system to restore it to pre-austerity levels.
Health and wellbeing boards make ‘real difference’, council chiefs say 03/07/2019 Boards set up to promote collaboration between health and social care professionals are achieving success, according to local government leaders.
Thousands of older people impacted by care home closures, survey reveals 27/06/2019 Survey of social care directors has revealed that thousands of older and disabled people have been impacted by care home closures after a decade of cuts.
Carers increasingly ‘depressed’, survey reveals 25/06/2019 Carers are feeling stressed and depressed working in what is an increasingly over-stretched and underfunded care system, a new survey has revealed.
Cuts impacting on oral health in care homes, council chiefs warn 24/06/2019 Care home residents are not supported to ‘maintain and improve’ their oral health, the national health and social care regulator has revealed.
Social workers warn of 'devastating' impact of cuts 19/06/2019 Social workers have claimed they cannot do their jobs properly because of years of funding cuts.
Wider funding issues put NHS plan in 'jeopardy' 18/06/2019 Delivering improved care for patients in the new NHS Long Term Plan will be 'extremely challenging' without urgent government action to increase funding, health experts have warned.
Union warns 130,000 people trapped in social care debt 12/06/2019 Nearly 100,000 people are facing debt collectors over unpaid social care charges, an investigation has revealed.
Over half of the disease burden in England ‘preventable’ 04/06/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed a report which urges the Government to increase investment into initiatives supporting public health.
England faces £4.4bn care funding gap 29/05/2019 There will be a social care funding gap of £4.4bn in England by 2023/24 unless there is a funding commitment from the Government, a health think tank says.
County council chiefs warn of ‘fragile nature’ of care system 29/05/2019 Councils will need to spend £6.1bn per year more in 2025 on adult social care services compared to what they were spending a decade ago, figures reveal.
Older people waiting too long for care, charity warns 28/05/2019 Four out of ten older people with critical or substantial needs are waiting more than six weeks for social care in Scotland, a charity has warned.
Free social care for the elderly could save NHS £4.5bn a year, think tank says 23/05/2019 The introduction of free social care for everyone over 65 would save the NHS in England £4.5bn a year and help improve care in the community, think tank says.
Over 14 million people live with more than one long-term condition, study shows 22/05/2019 Almost one in four people are living with long-term multiple health conditions, according to new research.
Green proposes reforms to fix the ‘unsustainable’ care system 29/04/2019 The cash-strapped care system should adopt the model of the state pension to help deal with its multi-billion pound funding hole, Damian Green MP argues.
DWP pursues 80,000 carers for overpaid allowances 26/04/2019 The Government is pursuing thousands of carers for repayment of overpaid care allowances despite not knowing the impact this will have, auditors say.
Charity calls for free personal care for elderly 27/03/2019 Campaigners have called on councillors to back a call for free personal care for the over-65s.
The future of social work: creating pathways through apprenticeships 25/03/2019 Joanna Rawles explains how the new Social Worker Degree Apprenticeship will help councils attract and retain social workers.
What does the future hold for care providers? 22/03/2019 John Woodward OBE explores the impact of the social care crisis on care providers big and small.
Around 15,000 patients with neurological conditions ‘let down’ by care system 18/03/2019 Councils are not routinely recording whether someone they are providing services for has a neurological condition, making these patients ‘invisible’.
Women ‘bear the brunt’ of social care crisis, charity warns 08/03/2019 Women are paying the highest price for the Government’s continued inaction on social care, an elderly persons charity has warned.
Austerity is gutting services ‘vital’ to women’s lives, report reveals 07/03/2019 Austerity has hit women the hardest with funding for women’s refuges, social care and youth and children’s services slashed, a new report has found.
Care home quality ‘worsens’ in a third of council areas 06/03/2019 The quality of care homes has worsened in more than a third of local authority areas over the last year, according to an elderly persons charity.
Council tax rises will not fix ‘chronically underfunded’ care system 06/03/2019 Increases in council tax will fail to fix the ‘chronically underfunded’ social care system, local authority leaders have warned.

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