Metrics of misery..and a message of hope?

Opinion piece by Richard Humphries, ADASS Associate Trustee

On taking office the new health and social care secretary Wes Streeting wasted no time in declaring that “..from today, the policy of this department is that the NHS is broken.”

His views about the state of adult social care have yet to be divulged but the findings of the latest annual survey by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services should remove any doubt about what his conclusion should be.

Increased funding during the last parliament has helped councils reduce the number of people waiting for an assessment of their needs or for care and support. But this ‘social care waiting list’ of over 400,000 people remains way too high. A growing population with more people with more complex, and therefore costly needs, is outstripping the capacity and resources of councils and care providers alike. In many places fewer people getting NHS continuing health care simply passes the pressure on to social care. It’s no wonder that Councils are having to make the biggest financial savings since 2016 (unlike NHS bodies councils are legally required to set a balanced budget).

Overspending is also at its highest in a decade.  Most councils are now dipping into their financial reserves, but this is money that can only be used once. The necessity to prioritise people with the highest needs means that the big longer term benefits of helping people to live good lives in their own homes and communities are lost. This includes unpaid carers who are asking for more support but aren’t getting it. The confidence of Directors in their ability to meet statutory duties has hit rock-bottom – only 10% of Directors think their budgets will be enough to do this.

It would be hard to dismiss this as just another report pleading for more cash. Its credentials are impeccable – the survey is widely regarded as the most up-to-date, respected and authoritative assessment of the state of adult social care. It reflects the views not of politicians or lobbyists but local council chiefs who bear professional responsibility for overseeing care and support for their local population. Data about budgets, needs and numbers are considered through the prism of years of professional and sometimes personal experience.

Its conclusions are emphatically not about ‘more of the same’ but underscore ADASSs triple-asks during the election campaign of better pay and conditions for care workers, more support for unpaid carers and a serious shift towards care at home. These align with Labour’s pre-election pledges, but actions in Government will speak louder than words in manifestos.  A new government brings fresh energy, ideas and enthusiasm, its large majority buttressed by strong support from the Liberal Democrats around social care. This is potentially a powerful parliamentary force for change. In Time to act: A roadmap for reforming care and support in England. ADASS has already outlined a plan to deliver real reform which commands wide support across the social care system.  There’s never been a better time to act.