Social Care Strain In The UK

A report this week has come to light calling on the government to put together an advertising campaign to attract more social care workers. They say that they are struggling because of low pay & low morale.

PAC chair Meg Hillier said the low regard for care work in the UK was a “source of national shame”, adding: “The sector is scraping by and without an explicit, long-term plan backed by government it could soon be on its knees. Levels of unmet needs are high and rising; short-term funding fixes are a road to nowhere and the ingrained issues that lead to high turnover in the workforce could be compounded by Brexit.

We urge government to publish this year, and then implement, a credible long-term funding plan for care.”

The PAC also found worrying evidence that care is being prioritised to people needing the most support which means that packages for people with moderate needs, such as an older person at risk of falls or becoming malnourished, is taking much longer. In turn this increases the strain in the NHS as there are many people out there not getting the support they need which results in them being admitted into hospital and worsening their situation.

Age UK has put forward that there are a massive 1.2 Million older people within the UK that have unmet social care needs.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We know the social care system is under pressure – that’s why we’ve provided an extra £2bn funding to the sector and a further £150m for the next year and will shortly outline the government’s plans to reform social care to ensure it is sustainable for the future.

“We are also working on a joint health and social care workforce strategy to ensure the system is able to meet the demands of our growing ageing population as well as looking at ways to promote social care as a career of choice and attract staff to the profession.”

If you are struggling with finding out how to get care or funding for care, get in contact with us to take advantage of our signposting service. We can try to get you the advice and support you need.