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| The big issue: welfare reform is vital for old, young and disabled people | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Your front-page piece (“Elderly care ‘close to collapse’ as council funding runs out”, News), coupled with Jennifer Dixon’s and Anita Charlesworth’s analysis of the autumn statement’s implications for social care (Comment) and the letter from the cross-party group of local government leaders, highlight a massive crisis that goes beyond social care. It threatens the viability of every social welfare market, including childcare. | Your front-page piece (“Elderly care ‘close to collapse’ as council funding runs out”, News), coupled with Jennifer Dixon’s and Anita Charlesworth’s analysis of the autumn statement’s implications for social care (Comment) and the letter from the cross-party group of local government leaders, highlight a massive crisis that goes beyond social care. It threatens the viability of every social welfare market, including childcare. |
| The Department for Education’s 2013 childcare and early years providers survey, for instance, showed 46% of respondents either operating at a loss or just breaking even. Running a business on this basis is unsustainable and the situation has likely deteriorated since then. We might be able to maintain a sense of national and community responsibility for services if we could turn our mixed economies of social welfare into “social markets”. In such markets, partnerships with the private-for-profit and not-for-profit/social enterprise service sectors would not only be adequately subsidised by the state, but also more rigorously regulated. | The Department for Education’s 2013 childcare and early years providers survey, for instance, showed 46% of respondents either operating at a loss or just breaking even. Running a business on this basis is unsustainable and the situation has likely deteriorated since then. We might be able to maintain a sense of national and community responsibility for services if we could turn our mixed economies of social welfare into “social markets”. In such markets, partnerships with the private-for-profit and not-for-profit/social enterprise service sectors would not only be adequately subsidised by the state, but also more rigorously regulated. |
| Above all, we should have a major national debate about a fair and transparent way of assigning costs between social welfare service users, providers and the state.Eva LloydProfessor of early childhood Cass School of Education and CommunitiesLondon | Above all, we should have a major national debate about a fair and transparent way of assigning costs between social welfare service users, providers and the state.Eva LloydProfessor of early childhood Cass School of Education and CommunitiesLondon |
| It saddens and depresses me that most articles referring to the crisis in care homes refer only to the elderly. People with severe learning disabilities and complex needs are a hidden group and there is a huge crisis in their care. I have a 39-year-old daughter with severe complex needs who has minimal funding for her care and is left isolated and alone for many hours in a care home in a package known as “supported” living. | It saddens and depresses me that most articles referring to the crisis in care homes refer only to the elderly. People with severe learning disabilities and complex needs are a hidden group and there is a huge crisis in their care. I have a 39-year-old daughter with severe complex needs who has minimal funding for her care and is left isolated and alone for many hours in a care home in a package known as “supported” living. |
| She is non-verbal, is becoming increasingly immobile and has now developed a severe skin condition. When she was born, I was told I was lucky that the institutions that locked people away for lifetimes were closing and a more enlightened approach was in place. Since then, there has been a lot of research and good intentions but these are never backed up by funding to implement these possible improvements. | She is non-verbal, is becoming increasingly immobile and has now developed a severe skin condition. When she was born, I was told I was lucky that the institutions that locked people away for lifetimes were closing and a more enlightened approach was in place. Since then, there has been a lot of research and good intentions but these are never backed up by funding to implement these possible improvements. |
| Carers are usually on a minimal wage and the stress and long-term sickness level among “professionals” working in this industry is abysmal. The cost of sick pay in the social care system could surely be better used employing more staff to be on call. I have lost count of the number of cancelled meetings because social workers/health professionals are off sick or on long-term sick leave. | Carers are usually on a minimal wage and the stress and long-term sickness level among “professionals” working in this industry is abysmal. The cost of sick pay in the social care system could surely be better used employing more staff to be on call. I have lost count of the number of cancelled meetings because social workers/health professionals are off sick or on long-term sick leave. |
| It is time governments started to realise that ignoring the most vulnerable – who will always be with us – will always ultimately cost more in the long run, and spreads discontent and depression to most people who try to help.Gill Skelton London | It is time governments started to realise that ignoring the most vulnerable – who will always be with us – will always ultimately cost more in the long run, and spreads discontent and depression to most people who try to help.Gill Skelton London |
| While there is a clear need for additional emergency funding for social care, this should not distract us from pressing ahead with more radical change. Social care should be nationalised. Part of the remit of a new National Health and Care Service (NHCS) would be to deliver high-quality, publicly funded preventive and ameliorative care services to all citizens in need within their own homes or, where necessary, in specialist residential units. | While there is a clear need for additional emergency funding for social care, this should not distract us from pressing ahead with more radical change. Social care should be nationalised. Part of the remit of a new National Health and Care Service (NHCS) would be to deliver high-quality, publicly funded preventive and ameliorative care services to all citizens in need within their own homes or, where necessary, in specialist residential units. |
| This would require significant new investment in buildings, equipment and staff. A workforce plan would need to be developed to ensure that all NHCS staff are well paid, well trained and have proper career paths. Siren voices suggesting that such organisational change is neither desirable nor affordable should, like critics of Labour’s welfare plans after the Second World War, be resisted. This is not a time for tinkering. A bold and imaginative new deal for social care is needed now.Robert M PageBirmingham | This would require significant new investment in buildings, equipment and staff. A workforce plan would need to be developed to ensure that all NHCS staff are well paid, well trained and have proper career paths. Siren voices suggesting that such organisational change is neither desirable nor affordable should, like critics of Labour’s welfare plans after the Second World War, be resisted. This is not a time for tinkering. A bold and imaginative new deal for social care is needed now.Robert M PageBirmingham |