“The availability of quality home care services are key to supporting people’s independence at home and in the communities they know and love. It is therefore a significant concern that these services are currently so fragile because of the acute funding pressures on the system"
Responding to a survey by Age UK on home care, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“The availability of quality home care services are key to supporting people’s independence at home and in the communities they know and love. It is therefore a significant concern that these services are currently so fragile because of the acute funding pressures on the system.
“Since the Care Act came into force in 2015, councils follow a national minimum threshold for eligibility that is consistent across England. Councils are working closely with providers to try to maintain and improve services for people who rely on home care. This includes having effective contingency plans in place in case these businesses fail so they can ensure any disruption to a person’s care is kept to a minimum and that people remain at the centre of decisions about how best to meet their care needs.
“However, continued cuts to funding for adult social care are putting an impossible squeeze on councils and providers to deliver care for those that need it. This is impacting on the availability, choice and number of people receiving home care services, with the number of people affected by contract cancellations in home care greater than those in residential care.
“Government needs to plug the funding gap facing adult social care - set to exceed £2 billion by 2020 - to avoid undermining our mutual aspirations in the Care Act to ensure a diverse and quality provider market that supports people’s wellbeing and independence.”