Ground Hog Day For Social Care As Social Care Leaders Demand More From Government
On a recent Voices of Care podcast, from Newcross Healthcare – a podcast channel dedicated to the voice of the health and social care sector – the CEOs of England’s largest social care representative bodies demanded more funding, parity with the NHS, investment in workforce and a radical rethink on social care as a net contributor to the UK economy.
In the same week that the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced she would be scrapping the plan to cap charges for older people along with plans to increase adult social care training funding, Care England, National Care Forum and the Homecare Association joined voices and called on the Government to fix social care for good.
With the last Royal Commission for Social Care, now over 25 years ago, the podcasts host, Suhail Mirza, asked CEOs Professor Martin Green (Care England), Jane Townson, (Homecare Association) and Vic Rayner (National Care Forum); “Why hasn’t social care been fixed after so many white papers, green papers and now, another royal commission due?”
Professor Martin Green commented: “There is always a focus on the NHS. Politicians don’t understand the way the NHS is an interdependent system with social care. We transform lives and local economies, and we must make sure we keep that high on the agenda with the government.”
Jane Townson followed: “Reform is challenging, people visit the GP and have contact with health services, but people are not always aware of social care until they need it. “
The recent Skills for Care report showed that social care vacancies had reduced, with the majority of vacancies filled by overseas staff. The report also indicated that over the last two years the number of British national in the social care workforce has reduced by 70,000. It projected a further 540,000 social care workers would be needed in the sector by 2040.
Commenting, Professor Martin Green said: “<<the Government>> needs to think clearly about how we reform the model of social care, <<they need to>> work smarter, not harder. They need to think about how they secure the current workforce, we need training, development and reward the workforce in line with the fact these are very skilled and important roles.”
The call for increased investment in training for the social care workforce was echoed by all guests, with Vic Rayner commenting: “The social care workforce needs to be at the top of everybody’s agenda.”
Yet the Government last week reneged on plans around an adult social care training fund despite it being a key recommendation from Skills for Care to increase training investment.
Turning attention to social care as being a net contributor to the UK economy, the podcasts host stated: “<<the Government>> needs to change the rhetoric on social care from the cold calculus of cost, to one of its contribution to the economy.”
Vic Rayner comments: “Social care needs to have its own industrial strategy. Other parts of the world are seeing robotics as a massive export strategy for them. We have not got 430,000 workers coming down the pipeline, and the UK needs to be investing in technology to help address the pressures on social care.”
Jane Townson followed with: “Wes Streeting has been clear he wants to get away from the begging bowl mentality and to see health and social care as part of the foundational economy to help the rest of the economy succeed. We contribute about £60bn to the economy, more than agriculture and utilities. It should be seen as an industrial sector in its own right.”
Suhail Mirza, non-executive director for Newcross Healthcare and the podcasts host, comments: “In the election the Government spoke about social care, a national care service and supporting the social care workforce. This week they have rightly addressed striking NHS workers, but in the same stroke they have indefinitely deferred any meaningful social care change. They have reduced funding to train the very workforce they espouse to support.
This feels like Ground Hog Day. As our guests alluded, the government’s plans for the NHS will be severely undermined without fair rates of pay and support for the workforce – reinforced by Skills for Care in their recent workforce strategy report. Yes, the Government have sought to adhere to their commitment to fiscal prudence and rectitude; but as the NHS has received the much-needed funding promised, we have an effective de facto elimination of social care from their psyche. The net result, a healthcare system without any meaningful recognition of the unique and substantial contribution of one of its foundational partners – social care!”
Following the podcast, all three leaders -along with over 30 leaders from social care – an signed an unprecedented open letter to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care registering concerns with government decisions on adult social care.
To listen to the full episode, please click here: https://youtu.be/LlCoJO6byvA?si=7x2pRO6H5HNQvKEo
