Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board responds to an Institute for Fiscal Studies report on council spending on adult social care.
Responding to an Institute for Fiscal Studies report on council spending on adult social care, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“This report by the IFS makes clear the financial constraints currently facing councils as well as the efforts being made to protect adult social care services.
“Councils’ first priority is the safety and wellbeing of those they support. But adult social care services face an annual funding gap that will exceed £2 billion by 2020, and these figures illustrate a system straining under real financial pressure.
“Fundamental changes to the way we fund adult social care are needed if we are to deliver a system that works for everyone in society. All funding options should be up for discussion.
“The way councils are successfully using extra social care funding from the Government to meet care and support needs, support the provider market and reduce delayed transfers of care – reducing delayed days by 30 per cent since July 2017 – should incentivize government to fully fund our social care system and play its part in raising the profile of this vital service.
“Adult social care is facing a cliff-edge in funding which is putting at risk provision of care for a growing number of people of all ages with care needs.
“The Government must act urgently to put adult social care on a stable footing for the here and now, and address the long-term sustainability of care and support through its Green Paper. Only this way can we future-proof adult social care.”