Commenting on CQC’s Annual Report, Professor Martin Green OBE, chief executive of Care England, says: “The report indicates that although progress has occurred there is much to be done in order to ensure that all providers are in a position to provide the best quality care; getting to grips with the fees from local authorities and CCGs is key to this objective."
He continues: "Care England welcomes the report and the intelligence it provides will ensure CQC and providers can work to see a social care sector that can achieve the high ambitions it sets itself for good quality and personalised care”.
CQC’s report comes at a time when the sector has been under the microscope. Care England, the largest representative body for independent providers of social care, is anxious that this momentum is not lost and that the promised Green Paper does not morph into yet another consultation. There have been endless reviews and consultations; action is needed now.
Professor Martin Green adds: “This sector is still at a tipping point. In order for this to be alleviated the resource, including the newly pledged money from the Government, needs to be delivered to the front line. This is not always happening and action must be taken to address this by Government.”
Also commenting on the report, Nick Sanderson, CEO, Audley Retirement Villages, says: “The social care shortfall is edging ever closer to a full blown crisis and we now find ourselves in a situation where underfunding is at such a critical point, the quality of care itself is falling. More than ever people are having to watch their loved ones experience an appalling quality of care; just further evidence that existing care practices are both undesirable and deeply flawed.
“There may be no ‘one answer’ on how we deal with the creaking care system, but we do know that high quality housing options with flexible care available is a model that works. No matter what their age or care needs, people clearly prefer to be at home as they age, rather than in a nursing or care home. If there were more options which allowed older people to continue to live in their own homes, but bring in support where needed, it would go a long way to improving quality of life. It’s certainly no quick fix, but we need to stop wringing our hands and ignoring the benefits that high quality retirement property delivers.”
