‘Things have never been so bad’ for England’s social care sector – Adass

A “staggering” number of older and disabled people are not getting the social care and support they need, according to the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass).

This is despite adult social care being “as vital as our Victorian rail network or modern broadband”, Adass president Sarah McClinton will say.

The remarks will be made at the start of the National Children and Adult Services Conference, which is being co-hosted by Adass, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) and the Local Government Association (LGA).

Opening the conference in Manchester, she will say: “As professionals and as family members, we all feel more vulnerable and uncertain than we did even a few weeks ago.

“Be under no illusion: things have never been so bad.

“But as winter approaches rapidly, we must continue to focus unwaveringly on the older and disabled people who need our help, on those who work in care and support so tirelessly for so little reward and on unpaid carers whose dedication is so extraordinary but so vital.”

According to Adass research published over the summer, on average around 600 people joined growing waiting lists to be assessed for social care and support every day in England between November 2021 and April 2022.

As of April 30, more than half a million people were estimated to be waiting for assessments, reviews or care to start.

Separate figures from the workforce body Skills for Care show that, in a year, social care staff vacancies rose by 52% to 165,000 unfilled posts in 2021/22 – the largest annual increase since records began in 2012/13.

Ms McClinton will warn delegates that, ahead of winter, the sector has once again “no certainty, no plan and increasingly little time”.

While welcoming £500 million from the Government to help with hospital discharges over winter, she will point out that none of this funding has yet been allocated and it is already November.

“If we could have traded all the sticking plasters we have seen over the past 10 winters for one proper bandage, we might have started to heal the wound,” she will add.

Councillor James Jamieson, LGA chairman, will also address delegates, noting that they gather “amidst a tumultuous period in our nation’s history as the UK faces a period of economic and political uncertainty”.

He will say he is hopeful that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as a former local government minister and Chancellor, understands the “mounting pressures” the sector faces, but also the “enormous value” of the services it provides.

The LGA is calling for the Government to reconsider the current timetable of its reform for the sector, including a six-month deferral in bringing in the £86,000 care cost cap, due to come into force in October 2023.

It has previously said the funding and capacity that are needed to ensure the reforms are successful are not in place.

Noting the “critical position of our underfunded social care system”, Cllr Jamieson will say: “It is important that we get the reform and funding of social care right.

“We are again reopening our call for government to sit with councils, people with lived experiences and our partners.

“Working age adults, older people and unpaid family carers will all suffer, and suffer seriously, if the current situation is not addressed.”

The Government said social care will receive £5.4 billion, originally to be paid for by the now-scrapped health and social care levy, with £500 million to support hospital discharges this winter.

It has also launched its Made with Care recruitment campaign for a second year to encourage people to take up roles in the sector.

A spokesman said: “Social care is a top priority and we are committed to bolstering the workforce and protecting people from unpredictable care costs.”