Call For Social Care Partnership For Growth
CAMPAIGNERS say the new Government should work in partnership with providers to create a new powerhouse of social care provision for the country.
The social care provider organisation, the Independent Care Group (ICG) has called for a new spirit of collaboration to tackle the crisis in the sector.
And it says a joint approach between the government and the sector could meet social care needs, boost employment and aid economic growth.
ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “In just a few days, the Government has demonstrated a willingness to take a collaborative approach to issues facing the country – and we believe that is the best way to tackle the challenges facing social care too.
“Far too often in the past, governments have shied away from working with the sector to find solutions with the result that little has been achieved and the crisis in the care of older, vulnerable and disabled adults has deepened.
“Organisations like ours have a depth of experience and understanding of the social care sector that is freely available to the Government, along with our views and practical suggestions on the most important things that can be done to improve social care.
“We very much hope the Government will embrace the opportunity to work with the sector to reform social care for the good of millions of people who need it and those who provide it.”
The ICG has written to the new Prime Minister as well as Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Social Care Minister Stephen Kinnock, seeking a meeting to discuss solutions. Some 1.6m people currently can’t get the care they need and the sector is short of 152,000 staff, with demand for services increasing rapidly.
The ICG welcomed Mr Streeting’s call for the NHS and social care to be “engines of economic growth”.
Mr Padgham added: “This echoes our own approach of the past few years.
“We have long argued that aside from the huge social benefits social care provides, it also provides significant economic benefits too.
“The sector employs 1.6m people – which is more than the NHS – and contributes £55.7bn to the economy. Investing in social care would significantly improve both of those figures. Evidence suggests £1 invested in social care brings benefits worth £1.75.
“We will need to grow the sector as we will need an extra 440,000 social care workers to meet rising demand for care services, by 2035.
“Some 80% of us will need social care in our lifetimes and the number of people with dementia will soon top a million.
“At the moment an average of 14,000 people a week can’t leave hospital because there is no social care available for them. Switching funds from the NHS to enable social care to meet that demand through homecare or care and nursing home beds, will actually save the NHS money and boost the economic contribution the sector makes. Everybody wins – especially those people who are crying out for care.”