Autumn Alarm

Following the publication of ADASS’s Autumn Survey Report 2023, Care England has expressed concern about the findings.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England said:

“With the needs of the population growing and the money allocated for social care not increasing to match, the maths simply doesn’t add up. Access to social care should not be a battle for those who need it. Without funding from central government to allow for an expansion of care provision, we share ADASS’s concerns that people will be left without care.”

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has today, 16 November 2023, published its Autumn Survey Part 2. The report is available here.

ADASS’s report finds 470,000 people in England are waiting for care, a direct payment, or for their care needs to be assessed as we head into winter. The new data shows at least a third of adult social care leaders in England need to find another £83.7 million in cuts, on top of the £806 million in savings directors across England committed to make in their budgets this year.

The fallout from these budgetary challenges impacts on systems’ abilities to support people with care and support needs and their carers. Without the right investment in care, people will not be able to access the care they need, impacting their health, and affecting those around them who, in many cases, must take up caring duties themselves.

A critical part of this investment is our workforce. The LGA has called for £900 million to stabilise to recruit more carers and support more people now. Whilst 70% of Directors report that social care staff are undertaking activity that would have previously been done by the NHS on an unfunded basis.

Since 2021/22, £15 billion has been added to the cost of delivering council services, of which social care is the most significant expenditure.

The implications of this have been that nearly a quarter of a million people (249,589) were waiting for an assessment of their care needs as of August 2023, an increase from 224,978 people at the end of March 2023.

Professor Martin Green continues:

“Voices from across the sector converge on a singular message: saving social care is impossible without the right funding. Against this current backdrop, how can social care be expected to develop a sustainable system for the future? Investment is needed for community provision, and prevention, alongside the costs of providing care for those who need it in the immediate term. The Government must use the Autumn statement as an opportunity to invest in the sector, and invest in the future of social care in England. The new Secretary of State will have a growing list of priorities as she settles into her new role, none more important that fixing adult social care.”