- 2 million seek social care
- Funding, support dwindling
- Reform urged immediately
A report warns that social care is under “intense pressure” and must be reformed because a record 2 million adults requested assistance last year.
Despite increased requests over the last decade, local governments have received fewer applications for publicly-funded care.
The King’s Fund think tank’s Social Care 360 report reveals that thousands of individuals struggle without the necessary assistance.
It may imply they are forgoing a position in a care facility or assisting with personal hygiene tasks such as dressing, cooking, and bathing.
The report urges the next administration to prioritize social care reform, which has been “consistently evaded or postponed” for years.
In addition to an ageing population and a restriction of financial eligibility requirements, the figures are presented in the report.
Local governments were inundated with nearly two hundred thousand requests for assistance in 2022/23, an eleven per cent increase compared to 2015/16 (from 1.81 million to 2 million).
During the same period, the number of individuals receiving publicly funded long-term care decreased by 2%.
Individuals receiving such care decreased from 873,000 in 2015/16 to 835,000 in 2022/23.
According to the report, financial eligibility for care has continued to constrict, with the threshold for assistance remaining unchanged since 2010/11.
Local governments are also confronted with escalating expenditures as the cost of procuring healthcare services from providers surpasses inflation.
Since 2015/16, the average cost for adults of working age has risen from £1,400 to £1,540, as the King’s Fund reported. Similarly, the weekly fee for older individuals has increased from £670 to £840.
Additionally, the think tank asserts that the social care workforce is experiencing its second-highest vacancy rate ever and that approximately 19,000 fewer unpaid carers are receiving direct support.
Simon Bottery, senior fellow at The King’s Fund and primary author of the Social Care 360 report, stated, “Governments have consistently avoided or postponed social care reform despite assurances for decades.”
‘The most recent statistics demonstrate unequivocally that the sector needs to improve, leaving thousands of individuals without the required assistance.
Local governments that fund adult social services are under tremendous financial strain, and there is no indication that the federal government will intervene. In addition, no credible long-term strategy exists to recruit and retain the necessary staff.
“At a time when adult social care has never encountered more significant challenges, as evidenced by the unprecedented influx of individuals seeking assistance, the upcoming administration, regardless of colour, should undoubtedly prioritize social care.”
The King’s Fund urges the next government to increase funding to stabilize the social care sector and increase its appeal to current employees and prospective newcomers.
It also stated that the system must be made more equitable through these measures in addition to quality improvement and funding and eligibility reforms.
The Local Government Association’s (LGA) social care spokesman, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, stated, “This crucial annual report illuminates the precarious condition of adult social care.”
“Despite an increase in demand, it is disappointing and concerning that the budget allocated no additional funds for these under-pressure services.”
The Department of Health and Social Care stated that it is “completely committed” to enhancing the social care system and has allocated an additional £8.6 billion in funding for the current and subsequent fiscal years.
As of today, according to separate research, one in every thirty private care homes has been compelled to close due to safety concerns since 2011.
According to a study by Oxford University, the Care Quality Commission identified private management for nearly all shutdown facilities.
They estimate that twenty thousand residents were forced to relocate immediately during that period due to closures caused by the deficiencies.
According to experts, the results indicate that for-profit care facilities generally provide inferior care compared to third-party and public-sector providers.
The number of care facilities that were obligated to close as a result of evaluations conducted by the CQC, the autonomous governing body of health and social care in England, was examined in the study.
Typically, care homes that have endangered their residents or whose care services have persistently fallen short of industry standards are forced to close involuntarily.
According to research published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, eighty-four out of 816 closures, or approximately one in thirty privately operated facilities, were attributed to for-profit care organizations.
Disturbingly, fifty-two of the foreclosed homes had received a ‘satisfactory’ rating at their most recent CQC inspection; this indicates that the residents of these dwellings were in grave danger and immediate safety concerns existed.
Dr. Anders Bach-Mortensen, the study’s lead author, stated, “While enforced closures are uncommon, they frequently result from serious safety and regulatory violations, which can impose significant financial burdens on the local government and residents requiring relocation.”
However, the neglect that occurs before a mandatory and immediate closure can have detrimental and traumatic effects on the inhabitants.
“To ensure the future protection of care recipients, it should be a top priority to determine whether these enforcements occur almost exclusively in private for-profit provision for systematic reasons.”
The Nuffield Trust health think tank commissioned the analysis based on information regarding enforced closures that it had requested from the CQC.
Public or “not-for-profit” organizations included registered charities, council and NHS Trust care homes, private providers, partnerships, and individuals lacking a charity number were classified as “for-profit.”
Researchers cautioned that reliance on private providers is increasing, as more than 85% of all care facilities in England were staffed by them in September 2023, up from 78% in September 2011.
“A comprehensive assessment of the impact of for-profit provision on the quality and sustainability of adult social care in England is required,” said co-author Dr. Benjamin Goodair.
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A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care stated, “We expect all care homes, regardless of whether they are for-profit, to adhere to high standards of quality and safety.” When a facility or practitioner jeopardizes the safety of patients, the Care Quality Commission will respond appropriately.
“We are completely dedicated to enhancing our social care system; thus far, we have allocated an additional £8.6 billion to support adult social care and discharge throughout the current and subsequent fiscal years.”
Furthermore, an allocation of up to £700 million is being made towards a significant overhaul of the adult social care system. This endeavour encompasses investments in technology and digitization, enhancing care workers’ competencies and career advancement opportunities, and adapting individuals’ residences to facilitate independent living.
