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“This invaluable report provides further evidence of the immediate difficulties councils and care providers are facing in delivering care and support. Demand for services is increasing, budgets are not stretching as far, unpaid carers are facing further strains, and recruitment and retention remain huge challenges."

Joint press release: Local Government Association (LGA) and Think Local Act Personal (TLAP)

“Potential underfunding of these reforms would only exacerbate pre-existing significant pressures, which the reforms – and the funding for them – do nothing to address."

"Adult social care is facing a funding gap for current services, increasing each year due to inflation and other costs even with these reforms fully funded. This is without considering the immediate need to address unmet and under met need on these overburdened systems."

National adult social care organisations have come together to call for a co-produced, national workforce strategy alongside action to improve terms and conditions.

“Social care remains under enormous strain to recruit and retain high quality staff when faced with pay issues, unmet need within the sector and pressures on provider fee levels. Considering the limits that adult social care has been working within over the pandemic, it’s positive to see that the report finds that “service quality held up quite well”.

As councils plan budgets for next year, concerns are growing that the Government’s reforms to adult social care are underfunded and risk their implementation as well as exacerbating existing pressures, the Local Government Association is warning.

“The Government needs to do more to help unpaid carers who are the backbone of care and support and provide invaluable support to their loved ones.”

“Councils and care providers have done an incredible job throughout the pandemic and continue to do all they can to support and protect those in their care.

Responding to the publication of the Government’s white paper on adult social care reform, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “This much-anticipated white paper sets out a positive vision for the future of adult social care and it is right that it has been co-produced with and alongside people who draw on care and support. It is also encouraging to see the Care Act is the foundation upon which these reforms will be built, particularly the emphasis on housing, greater recognition of the workforce and skills, and prevention