We Should Be Voting Today To Change Social Care
CAMPAIGNERS say we should be voting in a General Election today for a new future for social care.
The social care provider organisation, The Independent Care Group (ICG) says endless delays are damaging the care of the country’s most vulnerable.
ICG Chair Mike Padgham said:
“Today, the second of May, we should have been going to the polls for a General Election which, amongst other things, would decide the future of social care in this country.
“Instead, we remain in limbo, wondering when a General Election will be called and, most importantly, what the main contenders intend for social care if they are elected.”
Today is the day that many local government and mayoral elections are taking place up and down the country and was once tipped as the obvious date for a General Election too.
The ICG says endless delays to polling day are delaying any start to reform for the care of older and vulnerable adults too.
“Everyone is waiting and waiting and the main parties are keeping their powder dry ahead of publishing their manifestos,” Mr Padgham added. “But in the meantime, social care continues to suffer. Some 1.6m people can’t get care, there are 152,000 social care staff vacancies and providers of homecare and residential care are leaving the sector every day.
“This election prevarication is harming the vulnerable and harming the country. We deserve to know when the election will be and what the parties propose in terms of social care.”
The ICG says the Conservatives have so far been quiet on social care, whilst Labour is concentrating its promises on providing better pay for the workforce and the Liberal Democrats promise free personal care for some, a Carer’s Minimum Wage and greater support for unpaid carers.
In its Five Pillars for Social Care Reform document, which has been sent to all the main political party leaders, the ICG suggests ring-fencing a percentage of GDP for care, creating a National Care Service, setting a minimum carer wage, establishing a task force for reform and creating fair tariffs for services such care beds and homecare visits.
