Reforming Social Care: Urgent Funding Needed to Tackle Growing Demand

The social care sector in the United Kingdom is facing an “extremely challenging situation,” according to recent research, which highlights the continuous rise in demand for these services. Sector figures are calling on the government to prioritise and adequately fund social care reforms to address the pressing issues at hand.

The spring survey conducted by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), released Wednesday the 21st of June 2023, reveals that the increase in care provision is failing to keep up with the growing needs of the population. Additionally, the study emphasises that family members and unpaid carers are bearing the brunt of an overburdened and under-resourced system, with “burnout” identified as the primary reason for breakdowns in unpaid carer arrangements.

Martin Tett, adult social care spokesperson for the County Councils Network (CCN), stressed the significant pressure that the social care system currently faces. While waiting lists for care assessments remain stubbornly high, local councils have made efforts to reduce the total waiting list by over 100,000 people since April of last year through digitisation and service investments. The CCN previously called on the government to prioritise funding for frontline services, and they are pleased to see some progress. However, to ensure the success of the ambitious reform roadmap outlined by the government, the next administration must fully fund this comprehensive package.

David Baines, vice-chair of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Community Wellbeing board, acknowledged the positive achievement of a decrease in the number of people waiting for care assessments. However, he emphasised that rising mental health needs, the support required for victims of domestic abuse with care and support needs, and a mounting NHS backlog contribute to the increasing demand faced by local councils. The report indicates that adult social care is in an extremely challenging situation, as directors are compelled to plan savings of £806 million as part of wider council budget-setting for 2023-24. This highlights the impact of chronic underfunding and the ongoing pressures faced by local authorities. The report’s recommendations, therefore, call for a fully costed, long-term, and sustainable plan to fund social care.

Gavin Edwards, head of social care at Unison, urged ministers to establish a well-funded national care service with nationwide pay scales and a long-term workforce plan. Edwards stressed that the social care crisis is worsening rapidly, with care workers overwhelmed, underpaid, and struggling to fill the gaps in a sector plagued by staff shortages. The acute underfunding, absence of meaningful reform, and government’s refusal to address workers’ pay have left the care sector in dire straits.

Martin Green OBE, chief executive of Care England, acknowledged the short-term funding boosts from the government that have reduced the number of people awaiting care. However, he argued that local authorities have been set up to fail. Although they have received £2.3 billion from the social care grant and an additional £562 million from the market sustainability and improvement fund, local authorities are required to deliver £806 million in savings to their budgets. Furthermore, they must provide an additional £692 million to meet demographic pressures in 2023-24 and face a cost of £1.8 billion to accommodate the national living wage increase. Consequently, local authorities are already operating at a £400 million deficit, even before considering staffing, inflation, and other cost pressures. While it is encouraging that 94% of local authorities have chosen to implement the adult social care precept for 2023-24, they are operating on a shoestring budget and require significant investment from the central government.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, emphasised the need for consistent, long-term funding across all areas of social care, along with investment in primary and community health services.