Care England has responded to the latest report from the Committees and Local Government (CLG) Select Committee on adult social care.
Chief Executive of Care England, Professor Martin Green OBE, was summoned by the committee to give oral evidence as part of the four month inquiry, with the CLG recommending that the Government urgently review how social care is funded in the longterm and address serious threats to social care provision.
“The Committee has done a very thorough investigation and I hope that the Government will give maximum consideration to the recommendations proposed in its forthcoming Green Paper,” said Green. “The report reflects exactly what our members are telling us namely the need for adequate funding in order to provide the care packages, training and sustainability of services.
“The conclusion of this report cannot be disputed; the Government needs to stem the financial crisis in adult social care. The sector is ready and waiting to work with the Government to find a resolution that focuses on outcomes.”
Inadequate funding was also found to have seriously affected the quantity and quality of adult social care provision, impacting on those receiving the care, the NHS staff, carers and providers. The report sets out a number of recommendations relating to monitoring of care services, care commissioning and the care workforce.
“We recognise the financial pressures that local authorities are under, but the pursuit of low fees should not be the end goal,” added Green. “We therefore welcome the Committee’s recommendation that CQC should oversee the market shaping, commissioning and procurement activities of councils.
“Expectations from citizens have risen. They experience health and social care as a continuum and the current financial challenges make the delivery of such expectations untenable. Government policy needs to shift to ensure that the system is fit for purpose and provides what citizens need and want. At present the system is too crisis based as opposed to enabling.
“This in turn disempowers people to manage their own care. Combined with this, the demographic changes mean that the current system is unsustainable. Tax payers are simply not getting value for money.”
