ADASS responds to the National Audit Office report on local government sustainability

In response to the National Audit Office report on local government sustainability, Melanie Williams, President of ADASS said:

“This report shows local councils trapped in a vicious cycle as they try to meet the mounting challenge of more people needing more complex and expensive care and support, alongside the competing pressures on council resources across all service areas.

“This means tens of thousands of people are waiting for a social care assessment, and what care is available is increasingly restricted to people at crisis point, rather than providing early support such as respite care or a daily visit from a care worker to prevent people’s problems getting worse. Turning this around is key to meeting more people’s needs at an earlier point, supporting our NHS and saving money in the long term.

“As with local government, adult social care has been waiting for reform for decades and now awaits the Casey Review, but there are immediate solutions which could be implemented. We are calling on the Government to lay the foundations for reform through the forthcoming Spending Review, including reforming planning to raise accessibility standards for new homes and investing and utilising technology. Longer-term, it’s vital that Government commit to the workforce strategy for adult social care to ensure we have trained and experienced professionals to meet our growing need for social care.”