“Urgent action is necessary to secure social care and support over the long-term. The Government’s proposals on the future of adult social care brought forward in the Queen’s Speech need to be substantive and must be brought forward as soon as possible."
Responding to a report published by NHS Digital today on the state of social care, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“Councils are committed to ensuring adults of all ages have access to high quality care and support.
“Today’s findings show encouraging signs that satisfaction has remained stable – and is testament to the dedicated workforce that supports those most in need, but rising costs and social care requests mean incredibly difficult decisions are having to be made about the future of social care.
“Urgent action is necessary to secure social care and support over the long-term. The Government’s proposals on the future of adult social care brought forward in the Queen’s Speech need to be substantive and must be brought forward as soon as possible. This also needs to be matched with long-term funding certainty as part as the Government’s forthcoming Autumn Budget.
“Doing so would allow councils to get on with the issues that really matter – from tackling isolation and loneliness, enabling more people with learning disabilities to live independent lives in their own homes, promoting and improving wellbeing, preventing ill health and reducing health inequalities. We know what the issues are, the time for action is now.”
Notes
- The LGA’s Care and Health Improvement Programme (CHIP), part of our sector-led improvement offer for councils, provides advice and tools to local authorities about how best to manage their resources and make the biggest impact on communities. This includes providing support for social care, integration and health as well as supporting the Transforming Care programme for people with learning disabilities and/or autism.