An enquiry into the long term funding for adult social care is to be launched by MP’s ahead of the government’s Green Paper this summer.
The enquiry will be staged by both the Health and Communities and the Local Government committees as a joint venture to try and work out long term solutions to the developing funding crisis. Recent estimates have put the funding gap for adult social care to be at a staggering £2.3 billion by 2020.
There is a consensus amongst politicians that more must be done to tackle this problem and the cross party committee will look at the current government plans as well as input from interested stakeholders. Their findings will then be published in May ahead of the Green Paper in the summer.
Izzi Seccombie, the chairman of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Wellbeing Board has said
“The committees are absolutely right to focus on long-term funding solutions and how to build political and public support for them. We do not need a major overhaul of our care and support system; the Care Act provided that and the vision it sets out in legislative terms enjoys widespread support. What we need is consensus on funding solutions so the Care Act vision can be realised.“
“An essential foundation for long-term reform is greater awareness amongst the public of why adult social care matters in its own right.”
“Everyone who has a stake in our care system should help build this awareness. Similarly, progress is only likely to be made if there is a cross-party consensus on a way forward. The LGA stands ready to help build that consensus.“
At Moore Blatch, we welcome this enquiry if it can begin to plug the alarming funding gap in adult social care. With individuals living longer, we have seen an increase in the number of people who require care and care services. The Care Act 2014 was implemented to identify those people with the greatest level of needs, however it is ineffective if there is no available funding to meet that person’s needs.
Radical thinking is needed to raise the necessary funds and to ensure the most vulnerable are not left without care and support in the community.
We are finding that cash-strapped councils are now using annual reviews as an excuse to cut care packages and therefore reduce people’s personal budgets or the amount spent on their care. This is placing them at risk of neglect and in some cases completely removing vital services that promote their well-being and independence.
If you or a loved one are facing this dilemma or you are due an annual review, then please contact the community care team on 02380 718095.
