2023-06-21 16:43:07
Adult social care sector faces ever-deepening challenges, says learning disability charity
The latest survey of Adult Social Care Directors, which found that more councils overspent on their adult social care budget last year and an increasing number relied on reserves to fund these pressures, is harrowing reading and illustrates the deepening challenges faced by the adult social care sector.
Responding to the Adass Spring Survey, Peter Snelling, Chief Care and Support Officer at Hft, the learning disability charity, says: “It is clear that the past six months have presented significant financial pressures for adult social care providers.
“Hft’s Sector Pulse Check 2022 report, published in partnership with Care England, found that 42% of providers had closed down part of their organisation or handed back contracts over the past year. However, the latest statistics from Adass, surveyed in December 2022, indicate this figure has increased, with 66% of directors of adult social care reporting that providers in their area had closed, ceased trading or handed back council contracts over the last six months,” he says.
“These concerning figures demonstrate just how unstable the adult social care market is, and we cannot under-estimate the broader impact of this, from unmet need among adults with a learning disability to increased pressure on our NHS as a consequence of people who don’t have the right support ending up in crisis.
“As highlighted in Voices for Our Future campaign, our plan for change, which has been created in partnership with learning disabled adults, we want a social care system where all adults with a learning disability get the right support at the right time. Yet, with over three quarters (76%) of directors reportedly concerned that they won’t be able to fully meet their duties around market sustainability in 2024/25, this seems like a distant hope.
“Our sector is reaching the end of the road yet, without an urgent plan for recovery, it is imperative that the lacklustre attitude, which has characterised the Government’s approach to social care over the past 13 years, changes immediately,” Mr Snelling says.
Notes to editors
For further information please email media.enquiries@hft.org.uk
About Hft
Proudly established in 1962 by a group of visionary parents, Hft is a charity supporting more than 2,500 learning disabled adults in England and Wales. Together, we are creating a future where learning disabled people and their families can live the best life possible.
Providing personalised support. Creating solutions for living independently. Coming together to campaign for positive change. Fundraising for new opportunities and a bigger impact.
In 2033, we’ll live in a world where learning disabled people have greater choice. About where they live. The support they need and want. And how to spend their time and money.
Learning disability versus difficulty
A learning disability is different from a learning difficulty but the terms are often confused and used inter-changeably. A learning difficulty does not affect general intellect, whereas a learning disability is a life-long condition characterised by a reduced intellectual ability and struggle with everyday activities.
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For more information about Hft please visit www.hft.org.uk
