ADASS finds there is no funding to meet the needs of older and disabled people this winter
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have revealed that there is neither ‘the funding nor the workforce’ needed to meet the needs of older and disabled people this winter.
In its Autumn Survey Report 2022, ADASS found that more than nine in 10 of adult social services directors in England do not believe there is the ‘funding’ or ‘workforce’ to meet care costs of older and disabled people in their area, according to new data from ADASS.
Almost all directors of adult social services across England say there is neither enough funding nor enough care workers to meet the support needs of older and disabled people this winter.
Fewer than one in 10 directors think they could manage with existing resources over the next few months, ADASS’ survey has found. Three in four say they could not cope if a large care provider were to fail.
Approximately 97 per cent of directors said that a significant uplift in the financial and practical support available to unpaid carers would have a positive impact.
The findings come ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on Thursday, which will set out spending cuts that could make the outlook for adult social care even worse and could postpone introduction next year of reforms including a cap on personal liability for care costs.
Cathie Williams, ADASS chief executive, said: “This is the bleakest autumn survey we have ever had. Only a handful of directors have any confidence they may be able to get through the winter with the funding they have and the care workers available locally. We were fearful in the summer; we are fearful now. This affects all of us.
“The £500m discharge fund will not solve this, when it is finally distributed – and it is urgently needed. We desperately need another significant injection of emergency funding to provide more help for people at home.
“If the Chancellor is going to postpone next year’s charging reforms, he must ensure that the cash already allocated for them is re-purposed to bring forward other measures that have an immediate impact on the ground so that more older and disabled people get the care and support they need.”
They report revealed 64 per cent of councils reported that providers in their area had closed, ceased trading or handed back council contracts, with 1,829 people impacted by contract hand–backs by home care providers in the past four months. This is equivalent to 45 people per council that reported they have been subject to contract hand–backs. This is up from the equivalent of 38 people per council when this question was last asked about the six–month period prior to July 2022.
The number of people waiting for an assessment of their needs, care and support or a direct payment to begin, or for a review of their care plan has increased by 24 per cent from November 2021 to the end of August 2022, the report found. This means that adult social care is in a significantly worse position going into this winter when compared with 2021/22.
