ADASS responds to Care Quality Commission – The state of health care and adult social care in England 2021/22

Responding to the CQC State of Care Report 2022, Sarah McClinton, ADASS President said:

“This is yet more stark evidence of the huge challenges facing adult social care and the NHS ahead of an incredibly difficult winter, with the cost disproportionately hitting those of us who need adult social care, unpaid carers and those who work in care and support.

“It underlines why the Government, and the next Prime Minister must prioritise adult social care. We will not solve the workforce crisis, prevent carers from breaking down, or sort out the NHS, without first sorting adult social care. We know that tough decisions will be needed, but if the levy no longer exists then we need to know what replaces it. Ahead of winter, people are going without care and support, staff are leaving, and carers are breaking down. Less money simply means less care and support, more unfulfilled lives, fewer staff, more of us having no choice but to give up work to care, and more of us having restricted access to healthcare. Social care is an essential service.

“Reform is about more than not having to sell your home to pay for care, it is about providing more care at home, better pay for the workforce, increasing support for carers, and supporting people to recover after spending time in hospital. It is about something fundamentally different, not more of the same. Rather than talking about delaying reform, we should be accelerating it because improving social care will benefit us all.”