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Social care is in desperate need of a champion Social care is in desperate need of a champion
(about 1 month later)
Amid all the political turmoil of recent days, the resignation of community and social care minister Alistair Burt passed almost unnoticed by the media. Opinions on the impact of his year in post will differ, but the timing and symbolic significance of his departure will be keenly felt by a care sector sorely in need of friends in high places.Amid all the political turmoil of recent days, the resignation of community and social care minister Alistair Burt passed almost unnoticed by the media. Opinions on the impact of his year in post will differ, but the timing and symbolic significance of his departure will be keenly felt by a care sector sorely in need of friends in high places.
“I can’t believe it. I’m losing every single one of my contacts in government and the opposition,” laments one sector leader, reeling off a list of Downing Street advisers who will be leaving with team Cameron, shadow cabinet resignees who have refused to serve any longer under Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and officials who are going in a Department of Health shake-up that’s scrapping any dedicated social care function. Henceforth social care will sit in a community care directorate alongside disability, mental health, medicines and pharmacy, digital and data and technology.“I can’t believe it. I’m losing every single one of my contacts in government and the opposition,” laments one sector leader, reeling off a list of Downing Street advisers who will be leaving with team Cameron, shadow cabinet resignees who have refused to serve any longer under Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and officials who are going in a Department of Health shake-up that’s scrapping any dedicated social care function. Henceforth social care will sit in a community care directorate alongside disability, mental health, medicines and pharmacy, digital and data and technology.
Related: Social care minister calls for return to multi-generational households | David Brindle
Burt, 61, who unconventionally announced his decision to step down at the end of health questions in the Commons last week, insisted that his was “not a sudden post-Brexit resignation”. He said he had given notice a few weeks previously that he wished to leave government in the reshuffle anticipated after the EU referendum, whatever the outcome. It was, he pointed out, 24 years since he had answered his first oral questions as a then junior social security minister.Burt, 61, who unconventionally announced his decision to step down at the end of health questions in the Commons last week, insisted that his was “not a sudden post-Brexit resignation”. He said he had given notice a few weeks previously that he wished to leave government in the reshuffle anticipated after the EU referendum, whatever the outcome. It was, he pointed out, 24 years since he had answered his first oral questions as a then junior social security minister.
His recall to office last year came as a surprise – not least to him, as he admitted to Society Guardian. Burt may not have much to log as concrete achievements over the past 12 months, but his geniality and steady hand have been important at a time when adult social care began to gets its case heard and received a net increase in funding in England for the first time since 2010.His recall to office last year came as a surprise – not least to him, as he admitted to Society Guardian. Burt may not have much to log as concrete achievements over the past 12 months, but his geniality and steady hand have been important at a time when adult social care began to gets its case heard and received a net increase in funding in England for the first time since 2010.
This came about thanks to widespread (93%) takeup by local authorities of the government’s optional council tax precept of a maximum 2% increase for social care. But as the annual survey of council social care budgets by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) suggests, the £380m generated amounts to not even two-thirds of the £600m that was needed to maintain services at last year’s levels because of the extra costs of meeting the mandatory “national living wage” of £7.20 an hour for workers aged 25 and over.This came about thanks to widespread (93%) takeup by local authorities of the government’s optional council tax precept of a maximum 2% increase for social care. But as the annual survey of council social care budgets by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) suggests, the £380m generated amounts to not even two-thirds of the £600m that was needed to maintain services at last year’s levels because of the extra costs of meeting the mandatory “national living wage” of £7.20 an hour for workers aged 25 and over.
As a result, services will continue to be cut. Of the 151 councils surveyed, in effect 100% of those with social care duties in England, 70 have reduced their care budgets this year. And Adass, which in the past has often seemed reluctant to admit it, is not disguising the fact that older and disabled people are being hit.As a result, services will continue to be cut. Of the 151 councils surveyed, in effect 100% of those with social care duties in England, 70 have reduced their care budgets this year. And Adass, which in the past has often seemed reluctant to admit it, is not disguising the fact that older and disabled people are being hit.
Of an estimated £941m savings (7% of budgets) planned for 2016-17, both to meet the shortfall in pay funding and to rearrange spending to deal with rising demand for care from the ageing population, at least 24%, or £226m, will come from cutting services or reducing people’s personal budgets.Of an estimated £941m savings (7% of budgets) planned for 2016-17, both to meet the shortfall in pay funding and to rearrange spending to deal with rising demand for care from the ageing population, at least 24%, or £226m, will come from cutting services or reducing people’s personal budgets.
Related: NHS boss says promise of £8bn in extra funding may be far from enough
So the imperative remains to press for more and proper funding for social care. And while NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens clearly gets the point, commenting recently that any extra cash available “should be going to social care” rather than the NHS, because underfunding the former simply overstretches the latter, the new front benches on both sides of parliament will need to be convinced – and are likely to be starting from a low knowledge base.So the imperative remains to press for more and proper funding for social care. And while NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens clearly gets the point, commenting recently that any extra cash available “should be going to social care” rather than the NHS, because underfunding the former simply overstretches the latter, the new front benches on both sides of parliament will need to be convinced – and are likely to be starting from a low knowledge base.
The short-term goal is to bring forward £700m extra cash for social care, scheduled to be channelled from government via the Better Care Fund by 2019-20. The longer-term aim is to build a “social movement” for social care, raising political and public understanding of its importance so that it gets a fair deal in the 2020 government spending review. An initial campaign meeting was held last month, advised by former Lib Dem care minister Paul Burstow.The short-term goal is to bring forward £700m extra cash for social care, scheduled to be channelled from government via the Better Care Fund by 2019-20. The longer-term aim is to build a “social movement” for social care, raising political and public understanding of its importance so that it gets a fair deal in the 2020 government spending review. An initial campaign meeting was held last month, advised by former Lib Dem care minister Paul Burstow.
All the while, though, the scale of the challenge is growing. Perhaps the most depressing finding in the Adass survey is that councils will this year spend 4% less than last on preventive services to help people avoid needing costly care at a later stage. As false economies go, that’s a pretty big one.All the while, though, the scale of the challenge is growing. Perhaps the most depressing finding in the Adass survey is that councils will this year spend 4% less than last on preventive services to help people avoid needing costly care at a later stage. As false economies go, that’s a pretty big one.