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Cllr David Fothergill responds to the Government’s decision to make vaccination a condition of deployment for anyone working in a CQC-registered care home in England for residents requiring nursing or personal care.

“Social care needs to be put on an equal footing with the NHS and government needs to address immediate pressures as part of funding gap facing social care, which is set to exceed £2 billion by 2020.”

“This ruling will come as a relief to care providers and councils because it removes considerable uncertainty and a potential considerable unfunded burden on top of already significant financial pressures on the adult social care sector."

"The focus on both short-term funding crises and reducing pressure on acute and inpatient services, rather than prevention and wider community support work by councils, is hindering the ability to transform health and social care services. "

“Prioritising funding for the NHS over social care will not help reduce pressures on hospitals. Instead of making costly short-term bailouts to treat the symptoms of pressures, money would be better invested in treating the causes of these pressures."

“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.”

“We all want to see people working in all care settings receive the support, training and resources they need, which is also a real opportunity to tackle persistent issues which have faced the sector, including the recruitment and retention of staff.”

“The forthcoming Spending Review is an opportunity to ensure that councils have the necessary funding to achieve real and lasting change for disabled people."

“It is extremely concerning to hear reports of older people either reducing or having to consider stopping their social care because of financial concerns."

We have been calling for higher pay for social care staff for many years, to guarantee workers get properly compensated for the critical work that they do and to retain and encourage more talent into the workforce. Social care certainly does need a “rescue package” to deliver an increase in pay for staff, a long-term workforce plan, increased overall investment in adult social care.