Year Of Success Caps Off Decade For Care Group

A group that represents social care providers across York and North Yorkshire is celebrating a year of success as it marks a decade since it was set up.

The Independent Care Group (York and North Yorkshire) this week held its Annual General Meeting at the Holiday Inn in York.

And looking back at both the last year and 10 years of the group, its chair, Mike Padgham said members had a lot to be proud of.

“In that decade we have gone from nothing to the point where we now represent just under 90% of care homes and the majority of home care providers in York and North Yorkshire,” he told members.

“We have created a body to represent all our providers and to give them a voice they did not previously have and with that voice we have spoken loudly and strongly for social care in this region.

“I am proud to say that we have punched above our weight in getting recognition for social care, not just in York and North Yorkshire, but nationally too.”

Mr Padgham said the past 12 months had been amongst the most successful for the Independent Care Group. Against the backdrop of the severe financial downturn, it had secured fee increases from the bodies that commission social care from providers, including North Yorkshire County Council,  City of York Council and the NHS.

Looking ahead, Mr Padgham said there were still challenging times to come.

“Commissioners are continuing to feel the impact of huge funding cuts and that is of course feeding through to their ability to commission and pay a fair price for social care,” he said.

“That is why, as we mark the 10th anniversary of ICG there can be no let up in our call for social care to be better supported, funded and rewarded in this country. If anything, we need to make our call louder and clearer.

“Social care providers across York and North Yorkshire are doing a fantastic job, against the worst economic background for generations and we deserve to be supported in that. A general election is just over a year away, so we must use that 12 months to get social care on the political agenda and to see if we can make it an election issue.”