VODG responds to new report that reveals a ‘sector out of options’
The new Sector Pulse Check report by Hft this year reveals the extent to which social care providers are having to cut costs and highlights the impact those reductions are having on the quality of care organisations are able to provide.The research finds the number of providers who report being forced to cut services in the last 12 months has doubled and a fifth now offer care to fewer people as a way to cut costs. What’s more, providers are having to hand back services and contracts to local authorities and many are concerned about the impact the upcoming increase to the National Living Wage will have on their ability to maintain services.
Commenting on the report VODG chief executive Dr Rhidian Hughes said:
“For far too long successive governments have overlooked the investment and reform of the social care system, and this new report clearly demonstrates the impact of that oversight.
“The under resourcing of England’s social care system cannot continue. As demand for services increases, some providers are being forced to support fewer people, others are reporting a lower quality of care. It is, however, disabled people and their families who are affected. This is simply not acceptable.
“High quality support services for disabled people can be transformative, yet for social care providers operating in such an under-funded, over stretching operating environment, the ability to invest in innovative solutions and services is almost impossible as instead the focus lies on staying afloat.
“Central government must take steps immediately to agree and implement the delivery of a sustainable solution that reverses these deeply worrying trends, creating a social care system that is both resourced and supported.”