2023-05-02 15:47:52
Mountains still to be climbed to enable social care to deliver the outcomes people deserve
The Directors of Adult Social Services’ (ADASS) new roadmap, Time to act: a roadmap to reform care and support in England, paints a picture of the invaluable role the adult social care sector plays in supporting people to live their best life, while at the same time setting out the mountains still needed to be climbed before social care can deliver the best outcomes for the people it supports, the workforce and the NHS.
This is according to Kirsty Matthews, CEO of national learning disability charity Hft, who adds that addressing the workforce crisis is just one of the challenges set out in the roadmap.
“Addressing the workforce crisis is an integral part of safeguarding social care now and into the future,” says Ms Matthews.
“As our recent Sector Pulse Check report highlighted, high vacancy and turnover rates forced over half of providers to turn down admissions and nearly one fifth to close services in 2022. Clearly, challenges in our workforce inhibit our ability to ensure everyone’s care needs are met.
“The Government’s recent proposals for a new social care workforce pathway are a step in the right direction, but to truly ensure that it makes a difference to recruitment and retention, these proposals need to be met with sufficient, ring-fenced funding for local authorities to ensure that the workforce is properly remunerated for its work.
“It is vital that our sector unites to push for this change in Westminster and Whitehall, but we would also like to see greater recognition of the role social care plays among the general public,” concludes Ms Matthews.
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
