Carers Issue Manifesto to Tory Candidates
CARE providers have issued a manifesto to the five Tory leadership candidates spelling out how to end the crisis in the care of our oldest and most vulnerable.
The Independent Care Group (ICG) says there has been precious little said about social care by the five people vying to be the next Prime Minister.
Amongst other things, its manifesto calls for:
• A root and branch overhaul of the way social care is planned and funded
• NHS health care and social care to be merged
• Social care to receive a larger share from the Health and Social Care levy now
• A national minimum wage for care staff
• A properly costed national rate for care fees
• The Government to listen to and use sector expertise
ICG Chair Mike Padgham said:
“Despite repeated requests from journalists, commentators and care providers, the five candidates have said little or nothing about how they plan to end the crisis in social care.
“To help them, the ICG is flagging up its top priorities. We need to see a properly-planned response to the crisis to get care for the 1.5m people who currently can’t get the care they need, to help providers survive the current funding crisis and to properly reward care staff in the future.
“Short term we need a pledge that social care will receive its share of funding from the Health and Social Care Levy immediately, to deal with the dire financial crisis facing providers right now.
“And long term we need to see a timetable for proper root and branch reform to create a social care sector that provides care for all those who need it and fair funding for those who provide it and their staff.”
Social Care Manifesto
• A root and branch overhaul of the way social care is planned and funded
• NHS health care and social care to be merged and managed either locally or nationally
• Social care to receive a larger share from the Health and Social Care levy now
• A guarantee that people receiving publicly funded care can receive it in their own home or close to where they live
• A commissioner for older people and those with Learning Disabilities in England
• A properly costed national rate for care fees
• A national minimum wage rate, linked to a national career pathway and salary framework for care staff
• Dementia to be treated like other illnesses, like cancer and heart disease
• A fixed percentage of GDP to be spent on social care
• A cap on social care costs, including ‘hotel’ charges
• Local Enterprise Partnerships to prioritise social care
• A national scheme to ensure people save for their own care, as they do for a pension
• A new model of social care delivery based on catchment areas – like GPs
• Social care businesses to be zero-rated for VAT
• CQC to have much greater powers to oversee all commissioning practises such as per minute billing and 15-minute visits
• Less duplication of inspection between CQC, local authorities and CCGs
• Greater recognition of the independent care sector and utilisation of its expertise
• Guaranteed equal partnership working on the new Integrated Care Boards
• Giving providers and CQC greater flexibility in delivering services
• More nurse training and bursaries to encourage recruitment
• Long term measures to integrate older and younger people in care settings to change perception of the generations
• Investment in research and development into new models of social care delivery
• Funding to help upgrade older care homes to maintain a range of choice for the public and investment in domiciliary care
