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Joint Plea of ‘Utter Dismay’ from Social Care Sector on Funding Cut

Social Care charities and not for profit organisations have made a joint plea to the Department of Health and Social Care to reconsider cutting funding for social care workforce development to £250m, rather than the £500m outlined in its 2021 social care white paper, People at the Heart of Care.

In a rare move key members of the social care sector have written to Helen Whately MP asking her to reconsider, a copy of the letter can be seen below:

Joint plea of ‘utter dismay’ from social care sector on funding cut

Dear Helen Whatley,

We are writing to you as social care charities and not for profit organisations who support over 10,0000 working aged adults with learning disabilities or autism in England and Wales.

We are in utter dismay at the decision to cut funding for the social care workforce. Adult social care is in a financial crisis that is set to worsen and with staff vacancies at the heart of the issue, how could further cuts be the right choice at this time?

The government has said it “focuses on recognising care with the status it deserves” but it is hard to see how this is reflected in today’s announcement. After more than a decade of cuts we have a social care sector that is on a cliff edge, for many providers this could be the final push. The announcement today couldn’t be further from the ambitions within People at the Heart of Care.

A larger, better-paid social care workforce is not just a cost; it is an investment. Pay parity across the whole NHS and social care economy and an integrated health and social care workforce plan will not solve the workforce crisis alone, but it would help elevate the recruitment and retention pressures we face.

We urge government to rethink this short-sightedness and renew the commitments made to the social care workforce so they are treated with the value and status that their dedication deserves.

A briefing about our organisations is attached and we would be happy to discuss this further with you.

Yours sincerely,
Tim Cooper, CEO of United Response
Aisling Duffy, CEO of Certitude
Sarah Maguire, CEO of Choice Support
Rachael Dodgson, CEO of Dimensions
Sarah Burslem, CEO of Macintyre

 

 
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