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"Homecare workers have not been able to access the same level of testing as their colleagues working in care homes, so this announcement should redress this balance. The further rollout of these tests to live-in carers and personal assistants also needs to happen as quickly as possible."
Responding to announcements about adult social care and public health in today’s Spending Review, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“The coronavirus crisis has demonstrated the crucial value of councils’ adult social care and public health services.
“Extra funding for children’s and adult social care will help address some short-term pressures, but we need a clear plan on the future of care and support and how we pay for it, which recognises low pay in the adult social care workforce and finally delivers parity of esteem with
“Social care staff have been on the frontline throughout this pandemic and rightly deserve all the protections they need to continue to doing their incredible work."
“Social care deserves parity of esteem with the NHS, including on future PPE supply and infection control measures. Frontline health and care workers should receive all the appropriate protective equipment they need.”
“This cross-party inquiry will be another important contributor to how we can sustainably pay for social care services, which have been seriously impacted by the pandemic but also affected by decades of delayed reforms by successive governments of different political colours.”
Extra funding support for social care has been crucial in our battle against COVID-19. This also needs to be followed by a long-term, sustainable settlement for adult social care.
"Had the appeal been upheld, care providers and councils providing social care would have faced massive bills, which would have increased the huge financial pressures they are already facing."
“The Government should urgently bring forward its proposals on the future of adult social care, including a timetable for reform, as soon as possible and before the summer parliamentary recess.”
"All of us in local government, across the political divide, want to see the Queen’s Speech finally set out the plans we have been waiting for and make good on the Prime Minister’s promise to ‘fix social care’, once and for all."
There should be local flexibility, with health and local government leaders working as equal partners, to establish the ICS Health and Care Partnership in a way that works for each area and builds on existing effective partnerships.