State of Care
Care England, the largest and most diverse representative body for independent providers of adult social care in England, has today welcomed the publication of the Care Quality Commission’s annual assessment of health care and social care in England.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says: “This report paints a stark reality of the frontline. A gridlocked system, catalysed by a lack of funding and workforce pressures, prevents the system from operating efficiently and sustainably. If this gridlock is to be overcome, there must be an appropriate level of investment to stabilise the immediate and systematic workforce pressures currently experienced in the social care sector. There must also be a strategic focus on true integration, shifting the current focus from organisations and processes to people and outcomes. This report is the latest in a long line of publications which present the need for immediate Government action to help tackle the ongoing workforce pressures. The can must not be kicked down the road any further; we need something to change, and we need this change now.”
The sector cannot continue in this manner and will collapse unless it is addressed now.
The annual State of Care report examines trends, shares examples of good and outstanding care and highlights where care needs to improve.
This year’s State of Care makes the key point that our health and care system is in gridlock.
Some of the key findings include:
- 83% of adult social care services were rated as good or outstanding.
- Large numbers of people are stuck in hospital longer than they need to be, due to a lack of available social care.
- 36% of care home providers and 41% of homecare providers said that workforce challenges have had a negative impact on the service they deliver
- Between January and March 2022, 2.2 million hours of homecare could not be delivered due to insufficient workforce capacity, which led to unmet and under-met needs
- Around half a million people may be waiting either for an adult social care assessment, for care or a direct payment to begin, or for a review of their care.
- The impact of the pandemic continues to be felt, with increasing waiting times and delays in assessments for DoLS applications.
- The care for people with a learning disability and autistic people is still not good enough. Despite multiple reviews and reports, people continue to face huge inequalities when accessing and receiving health and social care.
- These challenges are influencing the financial stability and sustainability of providers.
Martin Green continues: “This report highlights the incredible work of adult social care sector providers but illustrates the immense pressure they are under trying to maintain high-quality, person-centred care within the current climate. The report’s findings are a testament to the unwavering commitment of the workforce and highlight how vital it is to take action to ensure care providers can continue to deliver the quality of care that some of society’s most vulnerable deserve. The Government and regulator must reflect upon their roles and look to facilitate the delivery of safe, quality and sustainable care in the future.”
