VODG responds to ADASS Home Care and Workforce Rapid Survey

“The erosion of support for people who draw on social care services is happening locally, in people’s homes and out of sight. There is no headline grabbing ‘crash’ but the realities of government’s under-funding of social care is having profound consequences on the quality of life for disabled people.

“We are receiving daily reports of managers being unable to fill rotas and stepping in personally to cover shifts. Skeleton staffing of services is pulling away essential support that enables people to maintain control over their lives. And we already know that many charities are not taking on new services because they are unable to secure the workforce.

“With social care commissioned at minimum wage rates, our members have nowhere to turn. Pay cannot be increased without sufficient funding coming forward from central government. Every day providers are losing staff to competition from other sectors including retail and hospitality.

“Government’s underfunding of social care is pulling services away from disabled people who need it the most. If charities are forced to hand back services to commissioners, it will place local authorities in an impossible position. It can only mean that further pressures are placed on the NHS which is already at full stretch.

“It is vital that government urgently steps in and provides the emergency funding that is being called for by ADASS. We need this to get through winter and to stem the increasing rates of unmet need.”