social care


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.
Watchdog warns people regret not raising concerns about their care 19/02/2019 Nearly seven million people who have accessed health and social care services in the past five years have had concerns about their care but never raised them, according to new research.
Carers win right to appeal in £400m sleep-in shift battle 14/02/2019 The Supreme Court has granted carers the right to appeal in the ongoing sleep-in shift legal battle with a the mental health charity Mencap.
Whitehall launches social care recruitment drive 12/02/2019 The Government has launched a new national recruitment campaign to help fill the 110,000 vacancies in the adult social care sector.
Treatment cut despite ‘soaring’ alcohol-related A&E admissions 11/02/2019 Councils are reducing spending on alcohol and drug treatment services despite ‘soaring’ numbers of hospital admissions due to alcohol misuse, FOI data reveals.
Councils urged to bid for digital social care funding 31/01/2019 Local authorities which are developing social care projects using digital technology are to be given a £1m boost.
Care homes spend less than £3 per resident on food 25/01/2019 Elderly care homes are spending an average of just £2.44 per resident on food, according to new research.
Boost for use of digital technology in social care promises brighter future for users 08/01/2019 Councils across the country are already using digital technology in a variety of ways to improve and support services for elderly and vulnerable groups, and the Government wants to see an even wider take-up of the range of technology available. Paul Dinsdale reports.
Care chiefs raise concerns over poor data sharing with NHS 08/01/2019 Less than a quarter of local authority chief executives and social care directors regard their relationship with the NHS as good with data sharing being a particular problem, according to a survey by The MJ and BT.
What will 2019 bring for local government? 24/12/2018 Turbulent waters lie ahead in 2019, says Mark Whitehead, and councils will need to watch events carefully
2018 - the year things began to change 21/12/2018 Geed up by a spirit of entrepreneurialism, councils up and down the land were busy exploring new ways to respond to their communities in 2018.
Clinical Commissioning Groups ‘failing to function effectively’ 20/12/2018 An inquiry into the role of Clinical Commissioning Groups has been launched after a report warned many were ‘failing to function effectively’.
Over four million older people do not have access to care services 13/12/2018 A long-term fix to pay for adult social care has been 'kicked into the long grass', local government leaders have warned.
Care Management Group sold for £200m 11/12/2018 A care provider has been sold in a multi-million pound deal, with another company expected to be flogged in the coming months.
Councils must act on care service complaints, ombudsman says 28/11/2018 Councils facing a rising tide of complaints from the public about care services must listen to them and take action, the government regulator has warned.
Care sector faces staff shortage of 400,000 over next decade 26/11/2018 The struggling adult social care sector is facing a growing workforce crisis due to chronic low pay and endemic job insecurity, a new report has revealed.
Councils chosen for tech innovation funding 15/11/2018 The nine successful councils chosen to share £700,000 to pilot cutting edge tech social care projects have been announced.
Care home provider on verge of collapse, regulators warn 07/11/2018 The financial problems of one of the UK’s largest care providers poses ‘credible risk of service disruption’ to local provision of social care, regulators say
What does the Budget really mean for local authorities? 06/11/2018 Tiffany Cloynes and Joanna Phillips explore the key announcements in the Budget and how far extra funding will address the challenges faced by councils.
NHS could be 51,000 nurses short after Brexit 06/11/2018 The NHS could be short of 51,000 nurses by the end of the Brexit transition period, a new report has warned today.
Whitehall plans to tackle bad health need ‘long-term investment’, charity says 05/11/2018 Health secretary Matt Hancock has said the Government is committed to supporting local councils in improving health locally through ‘innovation, communication and community outreach.’
Budget 2018: £800m cash injection for social care 29/10/2018 Social care has been given an £800m boost in today’s Budget after chancellor Philip Hammond said he recognised the ‘immediate pressures’ local authorities were facing.
Whitehall must develop 10-year social care plan, MPs say 19/10/2018 The Government must set out a costed 10-year plan to help shore up the struggling social care system, MPs say.
Government urged to switch focus to community care 12/10/2018 The government's focus on reducing delays to transfers of care has tied up resources and has been detrimental to the long term health and wellbeing of those being cared for, social care directors have warned.
Number of newborns taken into care ‘doubled’ in 10 years 11/10/2018 A new study has revealed a dramatic increase over the past decade in the number of newborn babies being removed from their parents and taken into care.
Underfunded care services pressuring NHS, health regulator warns 11/10/2018 Disjointed health and social care services were placing increasing pressure on A&E departments, according to an independent health regulator.
Former Northants leader admits ‘mistakes’ over PFI deal 04/10/2018 Former leader of Northamptonshire County Council has admitted mistakes were made in a PFI deal which has meant up to £2m a year being paid for empty care beds.
Emergency cash for social care ‘no substitute’ for long-term funding 02/10/2018 Announcement of an emergency injection of £240m into the social care system to stave off NHS crisis is no substitute for long-term funding, campaigners warn.
People ‘forced’ to wait two months for underfunded care services 01/10/2018 People in desperate need of care are being forced to wait two months on average to access care services, according to health campaigners.
Local government funding to be slashed by a further £1.3bn 01/10/2018 Council budgets will be cut by a third next year, causing 'dramatic' reductions in services, local government leaders have warned.
Health and care inspection regime leaves ‘room for improvement’ 27/09/2018 The new health and care inspection regime is a ‘significant improvement’ on the previous system, but there is room for improvement, concludes landmark report.
Transforming healthcare with Intelligent Connectivity 20/09/2018 Danny Longbottom explores how digital transformation can transform health and social care services.
Whitehall demands in-year cuts to improvement programme 19/09/2018 The sector’s ability to respond to crises such as a care provider failure could be hit after Whitehall demanded cuts to a key improvement programme, senior councillors have been warned.
Social workers launch campaign to reform children’s services 07/09/2018 Social workers have launched the latest stage in their campaign to cut the amount of time they spend on administration.
Achieving a smarter digital future - social care 06/09/2018 Less than a quarter of local authority chief executives and social care directors regard their relationship with the NHS as good with data sharing being a particular problem, according to a survey by The MJ and BT.
Local social care services save NHS £60m 22/08/2018 Councils have saved the NHS almost £60m by improving social care for adults outside of hospitals, according to the latest figures.
Brexit will cause ‘social care workforce crisis’, think tank warns 22/08/2018 Ending freedom of movement after Brexit could mean more than 100,000 fewer adult social care workers by 2026, a think tank has warned.
Tax increases ‘possible solution’ to social care crisis, council chiefs say 31/07/2018 Local government leaders have proposed a series of tax increases as ‘possible solutions’ to paying for adult social care over the long-term.
Un-costed care cap would be ‘catastrophic’, county council chiefs warn 27/07/2018 The introduction of an un-costed cap on social care would have ‘catastrophic’ consequences for local services, county council leaders have warned.
Care homes not operating at full capacity, data analysts find 25/07/2018 Healthcare data specialists have called for a reappraisal of the ‘care home crisis’ after discovering care homes have more capacity than was thought.
Whitehall announces £4.5m for ‘social prescribing’ projects 24/07/2018 The Government has invested nearly £4.5m into programmes to refer patients to community services such as walking clubs or arts activities.
Unpaid family carers ‘propping up’ care system, report reveals 16/07/2018 There are over seven and a half million people in the UK who provide unpaid care for a relative — one million more than in 2005, new study reveals.
Brokenshire considering new devolution models 10/07/2018 James Brokenshire is considering new models of devolution as he seeks to extend further powers to local areas, the communities secretary has insisted.
1.4m older people ‘not getting the care they need’, charity warns 09/07/2018 The number of older people living with an unmet care need has risen by nearly 20% in two years, an ageing charity warns.
Councils must ‘simplify’ access to mobility support, charity says 06/07/2018 The process by which local authorities provide support to people with mobility issues is too ‘complex and varied’, elderly persons charity warns.
Health and social care inequality 'holding back integration' 02/07/2018 Social care must be treated as an equal partner of the NHS if integration is to succeed, a report has found.
National taxation needed to secure social care system, council chiefs say 02/07/2018 The majority of councils with social care responsibilities say that national taxation must be ‘part of the solution’ to securing the long-term financial stability of adult social care.
MPs say levy for over 40s could fund free social care 26/06/2018 People aged over 40 should pay a dedicated social care premium to fund free care in the future, MPs have said.
A dozen councils to receive social care innovation funding 22/06/2018 Twelve councils have been awarded funding to explore how technology can improve social care services.
Sector hits out at ‘unacceptable’ delays to social care reform 19/06/2018 The social care sector has expressed its disappointment and frustration at the delay in the government’s long-awaited green paper.
Council chiefs blast May’s £20bn NHS funding promise 18/06/2018 Local government leaders have criticised Theresa May for not offering extra money to struggling social care services as part of her £20bn NHS funding boost.
Make social care ‘free at the point of need’, former health minister says 15/06/2018 Social care should be ‘free at the point of need’ like the NHS, a bold new report into the health and care system recommends.
How to solve the delayed transfers of care problem 15/06/2018 Paul Hayes, national director of commissioning operations at Four Seasons Health Care, explores the potential of intermediate care.
Increase in social care spending backed by British public 13/06/2018 More than 80% of the British public support a 3.9% increase in social care spending, according to a new poll for the NHS Confederation.
Councils struggle to sustain ‘fragile’ care sector, directors warn 12/06/2018 A new report into the state of the social care system has revealed that adult social care makes up nearly 40% of councils’ budgets.
Health and social care integration ‘hampered’ by lack of communication, MPs say 11/06/2018 There has been a ‘failure’ to engage with local leaders when it comes to the integration of health and social care services, MPs say.
Future of social care precept looks 'very bleak' from 2019 warns Care England 11/06/2018 A third of English councils will be unable to raise enough money through the social care precept to pay for the services they are meant to cover, according to new research.
Community groups ‘pivotal’ in delivering personalised care 08/06/2018 Voluntary and community organisations play a ‘pivotal role’ in delivering personalised care, a new report finds.
Three-quarters of councils facing financial crisis next year warn leaders 05/06/2018 Three-quarters of senior officers expect austerity to claim more victims in the coming year, while a third are pessimistic about balancing savings with protecting frontline services in years to come.
Cuts putting ‘impossible squeeze’ on care services 01/06/2018 Continuing budget cuts are putting ' an impossible squeeze' on councils' ability to provide care services, local government leaders have warned.
Church groups supporting ‘struggling’ health care system 31/05/2018 Church groups provide health care and community services worth £3bn a year, according to a new report.
NHS crisis for its 70th 31/05/2018 In little over a month, the NHS will turn 70. Not long after that, the Government is expected to publish a green paper on health and social care.
Council chiefs warn NHS trusts £1bn ‘in the red’ 31/05/2018 Local government leaders have renewed calls for extra funding for adult social care after the latest figures showing NHS trusts are almost £1bn in the red.
National Insurance hike could save social care system, former ministers say 24/05/2018 Former Labour and Conservative ministers have called on the Government to put 1p on National Insurance in order to save the health and social care system.
IFS report reveals extent of social care funding ‘sinkhole’ 24/05/2018 Council chiefs have warned adult social care is facing a ‘sinkhole in funding’ which prevents it from easing the demand pressures on the NHS.
Integrated health and social care starts with the network 22/05/2018 Darren Turner explains why having the right network in place is key to the succesful integration of health and social care services.
Welsh programme to help the elderly ‘lacks direction’, committee warns 21/05/2018 A £125m programme to help vulnerable, elderly and homeless people in Wales ‘creates uncertainty and lacks direction’, assembly members say.
Carers face benefit ‘cliff-edge’, MPs warn 17/05/2018 MPs have called on the Government to remove the ‘cliff-edge’ in the benefit calculation that could see many carers lose their allowance.
£1m social care digital fund announced 14/05/2018 Councils who come up with innovative uses of digital technology in the delivery of adult social care will be able to apply for a share of a new £1m fund.
Social care crisis could be solved by ‘trust fund’, report argues 11/05/2018 A ‘social care trust fund’ could solve the care funding crisis by raising cash on the global market, a new report argues.
Latest figures reveal ‘drop’ in delayed transfers of care 10/05/2018 Directors of social services welcome a decrease in the days lost because of delays moving people from hospitals into care - but warn more needs to be done.
Private social care providers criticise ‘paltry’ fee offers 09/05/2018 Independent providers of social care have criticised local authorities for what they describe as ‘paltry fee offers’.
MPs call for 'credible, long-term plan' for social care 09/05/2018 MPs today called on ministers to outline a ‘credible, long-term plan’ to reverse the perception of English social care as a ‘source of national shame’.
Sleep-in care crisis threatens 70% of the care sector 08/05/2018 The viability of nearly 70% of the care sector is at risk from the unresolved sleep-in care crisis, a new survey has revealed.
Social care could be ‘rescued’ with £2.3bn boost, report says 08/05/2018 The struggling social care system can be ‘rescued’ with a funding boost of over £2bn raised from taxing property, an intergenerational commission argues.
New Duty of Candour regulations 23/04/2018 Standardised incident reporting will help Scottish health and social care providers cultivate an open work environment and learn from their mistakes, says Pamela Stevenson.
Welsh councils warn of £344m funding gap for social care by 2022 19/04/2018 The funding gap in Welsh social services will jump by a whopping three-and-a half times by 2020-2021, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) has warned.
Councils cannot charge for first weeks of intermediate care, Ombudsman says 18/04/2018 Local authorities cannot charge people for the first six weeks of intermediate care, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has warned.
Local elections 2018: Decision time on local services 18/04/2018 What issues will the main political parties be focusing on in the upcoming local elections? Mark Whitehead investigates.
Council chiefs have 'low confidence' in delivering statutory services 28/03/2018 Council bosses have warned they do not have the adequate powers and resources to deliver statutory services in a new survey.
Neglect common in care homes due to staff ‘burnout’ 22/03/2018 The largest-ever survey of care home staff in England has found that neglectful behaviours are widespread due to staff ‘burnout’.
IFS implores action over growing social care funding chasm 20/03/2018 The Government will need to scrap its funding reforms, significantly boost top-ups or centralise care if it is to plug the social care funding gap, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned today.
Manchester to pay care staff living wage 15/03/2018 Manchester City Council has pledged to pay an extra pound to the city’s lowest-paid home care staff in a move to help retain carers.
Care home quality and choice ‘likely to get worse’, council chiefs warn 15/03/2018 Council leaders have warned the choice of care homes will get worse as charity reveals quality of homes in one in five local authority areas dropped last year.
Fears raised over £2bn emergency care fund 'crisis spending' 15/03/2018 Most emergency social care cash has been spent on tackling immediate crises, a new study has found.
CIPFA: Funnel more tax into social care 09/03/2018 Public sector finance experts have urged the Government to increase funding for social care by £14bn in a 'wish list' for a forthcoming review.
Council chiefs call for social care funding to save NHS billions 02/03/2018 Government should provide councils with funds to invest in prevention measures to ease the burden emergency admissions place on the NHS, council chiefs say.
Too many mental health patients placed ‘out of area’, regulator says 02/03/2018 Too many people are being placed in residential mental health rehabilitation services far from where they live, social care regulator says.
Survey reveals ‘sharp drop’ in satisfaction with social care 28/02/2018 There has been a ‘sharp drop’ in satisfaction with social care and the NHS in recent years due to a lack of funding and Government reforms, research reveals.
Consultation launched into future of adult social care workforce 22/02/2018 A consultation into addressing the challenges facing the adult social care workforce has been launched.
Housing adaptation system ‘complicated, reactive and unfair’ 22/02/2018 The housing adaptation system in Wales is ‘complicated, reactive and unfair’ and does not deliver for those who need it, auditors warn.
Care England wins right to intervene in sleep-in care case 20/02/2018 Care England has been granted the right to intervene in the Court of Appeal’s sleep-in-shift case raising hopes the care sector’s impending £400m financial crisis can be averted.
£10m for Welsh councils to manage social care pressures 14/02/2018 Councils in Wales will be given £10m to manage social care winter pressures, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

Unjust enrichment?

Housing authorities should take care when relying upon valuations that will feed into section 125 notices, says Amy Rogers, of the disputes team at Cripps.

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Local Government News

The March issue of Local Government News explores alternative funding channels that are available to councils beyond the Public Works Loan Board, what hurdles merging councils face in coming together, and how local government is handling GDPR.

This issue also has a special highways and street lighting section exploring how councils can use lighting to embark on their smart city journey and using IoT technology to weather the storm.