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Social care rules 'inconsistent' Needy 'face social care struggle'
(about 3 hours later)
Rising numbers of elderly and disabled people in England are being denied social care at home, a report warns. Elderly and disabled people in England are increasingly being denied social services, a report says.
The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) says there are inconsistencies in how councils decide who gets help and how much they get. The Commission for Social Care Inspection said councils were tightening their criteria which determines who is eligible for care.
Social care minister Ivan Lewis has ordered a fundamental review of the rules on eligibility. The watchdog said the situation meant there were 275,000 people in need of help receiving none while another 450,000 suffered shortfalls in care.
Increasing demand and cost mean thousands who would have got support a few years ago are no longer eligible. Ministers have ordered a fundamental review of the rules on eligibility.
In a very tight financial settlement, we have to use resources as effectively as possible and if you want more services, we need more resources John Ransford, Local Government Association 'We lost our home' In a very tight financial settlement, we have to use resources as effectively as possible and if you want more services, we need more resources John Ransford, Local Government Association 'We lost our home' class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4177&edition=1">How to tackle problem?
The CSCI, whose report is due to be released later, has been investigating the widening gap in social care. Councils have been setting a higher threshold for care in recent years as there is increasing demand for social care driven by the ageing population.
Seven out of ten councils now restrict their services to those people whose needs are defined as "substantial" or "critical". Pressure on budgets has also been felt - partly from the fall-out from the NHS cost cutting in recent years.
Local authorities argue cuts have been forced upon them by tight budgets and the increasing demands of an ageing population. The watchdog said two thirds of the 150 councils in England only provide services to individuals with need classed as substantial or critical.
But, according to Mr Lewis, the CSCI has uncovered enormous variations in the way councils interpret the rules. This includes everything from help getting up to assistance feeding, although the watchdog pointed out there ware huge variations in how these are defined from area to area.
More require care Trend
This means people with similar needs in different parts of the country - and in some cases living in the same local authority - are getting widely different levels of care. This was up from just over half a year ago and the watchdog warned the trend is expected to continue.
In addition, people who do not qualify for financial support are being left to organise care without any assistance at all. The report said one of the consequences of this was that fewer people were receiving home care support in 2006 - 358,000 - than in 1997 - 479,000 - despite the ageing population.
He said: "It's not acceptable. That's why today, I'm announcing a fundamental review of the system which determines who gets care." But the report also pointed out that those who were receiving care were getting a better standard of service.
Mr Lewis said the system faced a particular challenge coping with increasing numbers of elderly people developing dementia. Social care ratings have been increasing for the last five years and eight in 10 councils were now classed as good or excellent.
He told the BBC: "The health service will in the future have to spend significantly more resources on specialist support for families experiencing dementia: it is the new heart care, the new cancer care, the new stroke care - dementia is one of the great issues we now have to face up to." Commission chairman Dame Denise Platt said: "There is a sharp divide between those in full care and those that fall outside."
The deputy head of the Local Government Association, John Ransford, said: "A rising number of older people in society, people with learning disabilities, people with physical disabilities are requiring more and more care. She said life for those who were not getting enough care was a "tough" and called on councils to do more to help direct people towards services even if the state was not paying for it.
"We want them to have that care in their home, in their local communities. That's usually their wish, but it is expensive and we've got to balance resources with needs." As well as the 2m people receiving social care, there are hundreds of thousands who are cared for by friends or family or who pay for help privately.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The Local Government Association has been saying very strongly that in a very tight financial settlement, we have to use those resources as effectively as possible and if you want more services, we need more resources." John Ransford, deputy head of the Local Government Association, said councils wanted to provide care, but did not have enough money.
"We have been saying very strongly that in a very tight financial settlement, we have to use those resources as effectively as possible and if you want more services, we need more resources."
But social care minister Ivan Lewis said: "It's not acceptable. That's why today, I'm announcing a fundamental review of the system which determines who gets care."
Have you been affected by issues covered in the story? Has your social care provision been restricted by your council? Send us your comments by filling out the form below.Have you been affected by issues covered in the story? Has your social care provision been restricted by your council? Send us your comments by filling out the form below.
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