ADASS Budget Survey reveals ‘fragile and failing’ social care market

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Adult social services directors have called on the government to provide a long-term funding solution to the social care crisis.

The call came as ADASS released the findings of its Annual Budget Survey.

The report states that the market is “increasingly fragile and failing” in some parts of the country with three quarters of directors reporting they needed to reduce the number of people in receipt of care in order to achieve necessary savings.

ADASS called for a short-term funding injection to stabilise the market until the implementation of any Green Paper recommendations can be made.

Only nine of the 150 directors who responded felt optimistic about the financial state of health and social care over the next 12 months.

More than half (58%) said they felt fairly pessimistic with 13% saying they felt very pessimistic. Just 28% were fully confident planned savings for 2018/19 would be met.

Kate Terroni, CQC Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care, commented yesterday: “The ADASS budget survey published today once again highlights the mounting pressure on adult social care budgets and provides a stark reminder of the fragility of our social care services. The findings firmly reinforce concerns we have previously expressed through our State of Care reports about the consequences of underfunding for councils impacting on the cost they can afford to pay for care and therefore the sustainability of care providers.

“This report helps to show the human consequences of such under-resourcing and highlights the urgent need for a long term sustainable funding solution for adult social care. If we are to meet our collective ambition of providing the high quality, personalised care that we all want, then the forthcoming Green Paper must address this.

“Councils and providers continue to do all they can to help ensure high quality services, but unless action is taken to tackle the ever more overstretched council budgets then people’s care could suffer.”

Dr Rhidian Hughes, chief executive of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group, added:  “The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services survey has shone a bright light on the amount of central government cuts to these essential services. These cuts are hurting disabled and older people who are not getting access to the right level of social care support they need to live their lives.

“It cannot be fair that government continues to ignore the importance of sector reform and appropriate funding. Government has the power to change this situation for the better and we need government leaders and ministers to take action. Disabled and older people deserve nothing less.”

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