Joint statement: Strengthening adult social care and support for us all

A group of over 100 organisations set out the need for Government to work with the sector to mitigate the pressures on councils, providers and charities. They are ready to work with the Government, as equal partners, to bring about the long-term changes needed to build a care and support system that enables everyone to live the life they want to lead.

Strengthening adult social care and support for us all

The Government faces a challenging task of building a strong economy and sustainable and inclusive growth in the current fiscal environment. The challenge will be considerably harder if adult social care is not prioritised and funded adequately. In this context, the additional funding of up to £1.3 billion for local government including adult social care in the recent Budget was welcome.

When properly resourced and organised, adult social care is an important way in which adults of all ages, with different reasons for drawing on care, are able to live their best life. Its workforce is bigger than that of the NHS. It contributes an estimated £68.1 billion to the national economy and supports unpaid carers whose devoted caring saves the state an estimated £162 billion per year. It is critical to a well-functioning NHS, which is more important than ever as we head into winter, and the delivery of the Government’s ambitions for the NHS. This includes the health milestone of tackling hospital backlogs to deliver the NHS standard that 92 per cent of people should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to start consultant-led treatment of non-urgent health conditions.  

While the recent Budget provided welcome additional funding for local government, its announced changes to employer National Insurance contributions (ENICs) have created significant new cost pressures, which exacerbate the risk of adult social care not being the best it can be. The Local Government Association estimates that ENICs changes create £1.77 billion in additional costs for councils; £637 million for directly employed staff and £1.13 billion through indirect costs via commissioned providers, including £628 million for adult social care alone. This pressure is not the only one bearing down on councils and their partners. In adult social care, increases to the National Living Wage, inflation and demography creates a further pressure of well over another £1 billion.

The scope for savings and efficiencies is now extremely limited and current funding is insufficient to cover the above pressures, let alone make progress with some of the serious challenges the social care sector is grappling with. Without significant new funding, the coming months will likely be the most difficult we’ve seen in recent years. The Care Provider Alliance estimates that: 73 per cent of social care providers will need to refuse to accept new packages of care from councils or the NHS; 64 per cent will need to let staff go; 76 per cent will need to make cuts to training and resources for staff; and 22 per cent will close down their businesses. The charity sector will likely be hit hard, too, both through the ENICs costs they face and the inevitable reduction in funding from local government as councils do what they have to do to deliver, by law, a balanced budget. Some of these consequences, such as closures, will leave a permanent scar, even if funding increases in the future. People – those drawing on care and support, those delivering it, and those overseeing its provision – will bear the brunt of these pressures.

If the Government gets fully behind adult social care, recognises its inherent value to us all, and sees funding for it as an investment rather than a cost, we can avoid the level of risk described above. It is an opportunity that people across the country cannot afford to see missed. We therefore call on the Treasury to work with the care and support sector to either find a way to mitigate the pressures on councils, providers and charities as described above, or use this month’s Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement to inject significant new funding into local government so that councils can meet them.

Looking further ahead, as organisations spanning the breadth of the adult social care and support sector, we stand ready to work with the Government, and on a cross-party basis, as equal partners, to bring about the longer-term changes that are needed to build a care and support system that enables everyone to live the life they want to lead. Collaborating with the Government to ensure a secure and sustainable future for adult social care is an incredible opportunity to make a lasting impact. By working together and supporting one another, we can build a system that not only meets the needs of today but also lays a strong foundation for future generations. Teamwork and shared commitment are the keys to success in this vital endeavour.

Signatories

Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair, LGA

Cllr Kevin Bentley, Conservative Group Leader and Senior Vice Chairman, LGA

Cllr Bev Craig, Labour Group Leader and Vice Chair, LGA

Cllr Joe Harris, Liberal Democrat Group Leader and Vice Chair, LGA

Cllr Marianne Overton MBE, Independent Group Leader and Vice Chair, LGA

Dr Anna Severwright OBE, Co-Convenor, #socialcarefuture 

Ian McCreath, Director, Think Local Act Personal

Kate Sibthorp, Co-Chair, National Coproduction Advisory Group

Tricia Nicoll, Founder, Gloriously Ordinary Lives

Matt Prosser, President, Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers

Melanie Williams, President, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services

Cllr Martin Tett, Spokesperson for Adult Social Care, County Councils Network

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director, Age UK and Co-Chair, Care and Support Alliance

Prof Vic Rayner OBE, Chief Executive, National Care Forum and Chair, The Care Provider Alliance

Saffron Cordery, Interim Chief Executive, NHS Providers

Zeenat Jeewa, Chief Executive, Asian People’s Disability Alliance

Pip Cannons, Chief Executive, Community Catalysts

Prof Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive, Care England

Sarah Burslem, Chief Executive, MacIntyre

Dr Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive, Voluntary Organisations Disability Group

Aisling Duffy, Chief Executive, Certitude

Rachael Dodgson, Chief Executive, Dimensions

Sarah Maguire, Chief Executive, Choice Support

Mike Padgham, Chair, Independent Care Group

Dr Jane Townson OBE, Chief Executive, Homecare Association

Kathryn Smith, Chief Executive, Social Care Institute for Excellence

Michelle Atkinson, Chief Executive, Leeds Care Association

Clive Parry, England Director, Association for Real Change England

Adam Micklethwaite, Director, Autism Alliance UK

Jim Kane, Chief Executive, Community Integrated Care

Kathy Roberts MBE, Chief Executive, Association of Mental Health Providers

Louise Bestwick, Chief Executive, Bradford Care Association

Nadra Ahmed CBE, Executive Co-Chairman, National Care Association

Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive, The Care Workers’ Charity

Steve Veevers, Chief Executive, Hft

Nicola Richards, Founder, Support Social Care Heroes, and Chair, Sheffield Care Association

Belinda Phipps, Interim Chief Executive, United Response

Mark Milton, Chief Executive, Ambient Support

Samantha Clark, Chief Executive, Learning Disability England

Karyn Kirkpatrick, Chief Executive, KeyRing Living Support Networks

Melanie Weatherley MBE, Chair, Lincolnshire Care Association and Co-Chair, Care Association Alliance

Erica Lockhart, Chair, South East Social Care Alliance

Hilary Robinson, Chief Executive, Registered Care Providers Association

Prema Fairburn-Dorai, Chair, Suffolk Care Association

David Smallacombe, Chief Executive, Care and Support West

Nicola McLeish, Chief Executive, Surrey Care Association

David Crosby, Chief Officer, Partners in Care

Ann Taylor, Chair, Kent Integrated Care Alliance

Volt Sacco, Co-Chair, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Derby Care Association

Jackie O’Sullivan, Executive Director of Strategy, Mencap, and Co-Chair, Care and Support Alliance

Keiron Broadbent, Chief Executive, West Midlands Care Association

Maris Stratulis, National Director, British Association of Social Workers England

Vava Tampa, British Association of Social Workers England National Standing Committee

Riki Moody, Chief Officer, Gloucestershire Care Providers Association

Pierre Falleth, Vice Chairman, Derbyshire Care Providers Association

Michael Voges, Chief Executive, Associated Retirement Community Operators

Helen Walker, Chief Executive, Carers UK

Eddy McDowall, Chief Executive, Oxfordshire Association of Care Providers

Peter Evans, Chair, Buckinghamshire Care Providers Association

Helen England, Chief Executive, Brandon Trust

Michelle Corrigan, Director, Digital Care Hub

Sam Monaghan, Chief Executive, Methodist Homes

Jo Howes, Chief Executive, Wiltshire Care Partnership

Ruth Owen OBE, Chief Executive, Leonard Cheshire

Anna Knight, Chief Executive, Dorset Care Association

Angela Murphy, Chief Executive, Fitzroy 

Lisa Hopkins, Chief Executive, SeeAbility 

Caroline Stevens, Chief Executive, National Autistic Society 

Julie Bass, Chief Executive, Turning Point 

Richard Kramer, Chief Executive, Sense 

Naomi Dickson, Chief Executive, Norwood

Rachel Law, Chief Executive, PossAbilities

Ruth Gorman, Chief Executive, Imagine Act and Succeed

Diane Hesketh, Chief Executive, Natural Breaks

Anna McEwen, Chief Executive, Bromley Mencap

Maria Mills, Chief Executive, Active Prospects 

Angela Duce, Chief Executive, Harpenden Mencap

Valerie Waby, Chief Executive, Linkage Community Trust

Sue Pemberton, Chief Executive, Integrate Preston and Chorley Ltd

John Heritage, Chief Executive, David Lewis

Sarah Butcher, Chief Executive, Autism at Kingwood

Ru Watkins, Chief Executive, Hamelin

Sue Livett, Chief Executive, The Aldingbourne Trust

Holly Spiers, Chief Executive, Walsingham Support

Jo Howell, Chief Executive, The Northam Care Trust

David Coe, Chief Executive, AFK

Rachel Peacock, Chief Executive, Making Space 

Hilary Crowhurst, Chief Executive, Milestones Trust

Ray Booth, Chief Executive, Barnet Mencap

Sara Thakkar, Chief Executive, Camphill Village Trust

Irene Sobowale, Chief Executive, Brainkind

Alison Cooper, Executive Director, Parity for Disability

Robert Shanahan, Chief Executive, Aspens 

Sarah Lantsbury, Chief Executive, Headway East London

Jo Land, Chief Executive, Avenues

Victoria Neish, Chief Executive, Coquet Trust

Nikki Morris, Chief Executive, Deafblind

Lynette Barrett, Chief Executive, National Star 

Jeff Skipp, Chief Executive Ability Housing Association

Emma Morris, Chief Executive, Stockdales 

Paul Allen, Chief Executive, Vibrance

Gill Gryant, Chief Executive, Aurora Nexus

Anna O’Mahony, Chief Executive, Hollybank

Azra Kirkby, Chief Executive, St Anne’s Community Services 

Sarah Edwards, Chief Executive, Canterbury Oast Trust

Nicky Boland, Chief Executive, Outward Housing

Paul McCay, Chief Executive, The Wilf Ward Family Trust

Stephen Nichols, Chief Executive, Rossendale Trust

Sarah Miller, Chief Executive, Papworth Trust

Gabby Machell, Chief Executive, Learning Disability Network London

Craig Crowley, Chief Executive, Action Deafness

Tracey Bush, Chief Executive, One Fylde

Katie Ghose, Chief Executive, Kids

Kathryn Courtenay-Evans, Chief Executive, Guideposts Trust

John Preston, Chief Executive, The Percy Hedley Foundation

Phil Hope, Co-Chair, Future Social Care Coalition

Rt Hon Stephen Dorrell, Co-Chair, Future Social Care Coalition