Council leaders from across the political divide in England are urging ministers to make good their promise to fix social care by setting out their plans for Social Care in tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech. They believe that failure to act on securing the future of adult social care as we emerge from the pandemic will be a ‘bitter blow’ to the millions of people who draw on and work in these vital services.
Ahead of tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech, setting out the legislative agenda for the next year, the Local Government Association’s Chairman and political group leaders have signed a letter to the Chancellor or the Exchequer calling for promised proposals on the future of care and support to finally be published so that people are best supported to live the lives they want to lead.
The letter, copied to Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick and Care Minister Helen Whately, also says the approach of one-off government grants and the social care council tax precept are only ‘sticking plaster solutions’ which prevent longer-term planning.
The signatories state that for the Government to finally make good on its promise to ‘fix social care’, then the Government needs to promise three things.
The Local Government Association (LGA) are asking for three things:
- Investment
- No more Sticking plasters
- Long term funding
Cllr James Jamieson, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Social care has been on the frontline throughout the pandemic and councils have done all they can to protect and manage these vital services, while dealing with severe funding pressures for several years.
“In particular the last 12 months have proven their ability to respond to changing demands and needs under the most difficult of circumstances.
“The decisions on social care funding and reform in the coming weeks will potentially impact both the millions of people who draw on or work in care and support now, and the many millions more who will do so in the decades ahead. Our latest poll of MPs demonstrates the broad support across Parliament for additional funding for councils’ social care budgets.
“All of us in local government, across the political divide, want to see the Queen’s Speech finally set out the plans we have been waiting for and make good on the Prime Minister’s promise to ‘fix social care’, once and for all.
“This is about an investment in people, in all of us. A failure to act will be a bitter blow to everyone connected to social care.”
You can read their open letter here.