Care England has urged the government to introduce long-term social care reform in evidence submitted to the Treasury’s 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review.
The largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care set out a range of issues that need addressing in response to Covid-19 and beyond.
Issues cited include Covid-19 related testing issues and costs, declining occupancy level, inadequate local authority fee rates, staff wellbeing and resilience, and data infrastructure and funding in the adult social care sector.
Care England chief executive Martin Green (pictured) said reform is fundamental not only for those who receive support or care, but also for the future development of England’s economy and society.
“During these unprecedented times, it is of paramount importance to keep on alerting the government of the plethora of issues affecting the adult social care sector,” he added.
“In light of the sector’s contribution during the Covid-19 pandemic, government must support and be responsive to the needs of the sector. For too long, governments of all stripes have merely pushed social care reform into the long grass.”
The 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review will set UK government departments’ resource budgets for the years 2021/22 to 2023/24 and capital budgets for the years 2021/22 until 2024/25, and devolved administrations’ block grants for the same period.
