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The government has been condemned for halving funds promised to social care staff, with one charity saying it is an "insult" to the sector. Millions of pounds of previously announced funding have been withdrawn for a sector which, according to a recent report, is "on the brink of the abyss" due to rising costs and difficulty recruiting staff. In its People at the Heart of Care white paper on adult welfare reform, published in December 2021, the government pledged to invest "at least £500m over the next three years to start transforming the way that we support social care staff". .
The government must act quickly on real problems, such as workforce compensation, quick access to support, and the underfunded system, before it is too late.
He said that "this dedicated investment in knowledge, skills, health and wellness and recruitment policies will enhance social care as a long-term career option."
But the Department of Health and Social Care has now said that its 'request for evidence in partnership with Skills for Care on a new pathway for care workers and funding for hundreds of thousands of training places, including a new certificate of care', it would be backed by £250m.
Jackie O'Sullivan, from the learning disabled charity Mencap, said: "This plan is an insult to a sector that was once treated as a government priority.
“Just over a year ago, the White Paper on Social Protection set out the urgent reform needed to enable people to access care and support from those they depend on. Now it has been diluted beyond recognition.
“Faced with a deficit of 165,000 caregivers, the government has chosen to cut its recognition and support plans for this workforce.
“Without this workforce, nothing else is possible: an increase in the quality of care cannot be achieved; no innovative idea can be realized; and people with learning disabilities who are on welfare will suffer.
A dark shadow of the large-scale adult welfare reform this government undertook by promising
“The government needs to act quickly on real issues like workforce compensation, quick access to support, and the underfunded system, before it's too late.
The King's Fund health think tank said the measures were "a dark shadow of the large-scale reform of adult social care that this government undertook by promising", while Age UK described them as "not far enough to transform social care.
However, the DHSC has confirmed that up to £600m of funding has yet to be allocated and will be invested over the next two years.
He also said social care staff "is essential" to his plans.
The 2021 white paper promised to invest "at least £150m" in digitizing the entire sector.
The department said the figure now stood at £100m, which will cover investments in digital social care records, as it said £50m had already been spent.
This reform package focuses on giving care the status it deserves
Tuesday's announcement made no mention of the previously announced £25m to support unpaid carers or the £300m mentioned in the white paper to integrate housing into local health and care strategies.
However, it was later clarified that support for unpaid carers will be defined in due course.
Social Affairs Minister Helen Whately, who spoke at Care England's annual conference last month to insist that she was part of a government that "supports social care", said the package announced on Tuesday "focuses on recognize attention with the status it deserves".
She said: 'Caring is completely dependent on the people who care for you, with over a million carers working in care homes and agencies, and countless family members, friends and volunteers, acting with kindness of heart.
"That's why this reform package focuses on giving care the status it deserves, while focusing on better use of technology, the power of data and digital care records, and additional funding. for councils, with the goal of creating a system of care you can be proud of.
In its announcement on Tuesday, the government said its "updated plan to strengthen the adult social care workforce" would speed up hospital discharge and accelerate the use of technology in the sector over the next two years.
The department said it would launch a senior housing task force in partnership with the Department of Equalization, Housing and Communities "to decide how best to provide a greater range of suitable housing based on the support people need." .
He said £1.6bn will be allocated over the next two years to improve hospital discharge.
A recent King's Fund analysis estimated that delays in people leaving hospital in England could cost an average of £395 per night, and suggested that social care and housing issues could contribute to delayed discharges.
In the autumn statement, the government promised support for adult social services 'supported with up to £7.5bn over the next two years' to help local authorities cope with waiting times for listings and labor pressures in the area.
King's Fund policy director Sally Warren asked why the government appeared to be "silent" about its earlier commitment to unpaid carers, calling it "shortsighted on the part of the government to reverse what was already minimal funding and limited efforts to reform and improve social protection". . care in areas such as housing, technology and employment support”.
Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said millions of older and disabled people and their unpaid carers "need something much bigger, bolder and more genuinely strategic to give them hope for the future".
He added: “The truth is that the measures in this plan are generally quite small and fundamental, so while they are welcome in themselves, they do not go far enough to transform social care, and that is what we should see today. .
"With much of the money originally promised for care no longer available, our CSA (Care Support Alliance) members tell us this is just the latest in a long line of disappointments regarding recent government performance on care. social".
PA wire
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