LGA responds to Public Accounts Committee report on the adult social care market

Responding to a Public Accounts Committee report on the adult social care market, which includes calls for a comprehensive, cross-government reform plan for care and a national care workforce strategy, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:

“Social care has been on the frontline throughout the pandemic, supporting people of all ages to be safe and well, but still faces significant financial pressures despite helpful short-term support.

“As this report rightly recognises, ongoing uncertainty has made it difficult for councils and care providers to plan for long-term care and support services. This impacts on people who draw on social care, as they rightly want to secure the support they need to live their best life.

“Social care deserves parity of esteem with the NHS and as this report reiterates, action is urgently needed for the care workforce including on pay, conditions, professionalisation, skills and training.

“Despite extraordinary endeavours, we also still face a huge recruitment and retention crisis in social care, with more than 100,000 vacancies available on any given day and extremely high turnover rates.

“We need a sustainable, long-term funding solution for social care and government should bring forward its proposals, including a timetable for reform, as soon as possible and before the summer parliamentary recess.”