5% Council Tax Increase ‘To Fund Social Care Costs’
Councils are doing all they can to protect adult social care but reductions in funding and the cost of the National Living Wage, while welcome, means many providers are finding it hard to recruit staff, especially in home care in those areas of high employment.
“Despite 82 per cent of councils increasing fees paid to providers last year, our own survey reveals around two-thirds of councils have had residential and nursing home closures, and more than half have had care providers hand back contracts.
“It is a cause for celebration that more people are living longer but they are doing so with increasingly complex needs.
“Without significant, sustainable and long-term funding, the funding crisis means thousands of older and disabled people, their families and carers will face an increasing struggle to get the care and support they need, NHS delays will continue to increase, more care homes will close and there will be more gaps and failures in the provider market.” Councils are doing all they can to protect adult social care but reductions in funding and the cost of the National Living Wage, while welcome, means many providers are finding it hard to recruit staff, especially in home care in those areas of high employment.
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said “Despite 82 per cent of councils increasing fees paid to providers last year, our own survey reveals around two-thirds of councils have had residential and nursing home closures, and more than half have had care providers hand back contracts.
“It is a cause for celebration that more people are living longer but they are doing so with increasingly complex needs.
“Without significant, sustainable and long-term funding, the funding crisis means thousands of older and disabled people, their families and carers will face an increasing struggle to get the care and support they need, NHS delays will continue to increase, more care homes will close and there will be more gaps and failures in the provider market.”
