Social care leaders “can’t perform miracles” from already overstretched budgets, ADASS president warns

The Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have warned ahead of next week's Autumn Statement that councils face “tough decisions” around maintaining care and support services due to financial pressures.

ADASS called on the government to provide an additional £900m to “stabilise adult social care”.

According to new data published by ADASS, at least a third of adult social care leaders in England need to find another £83m of cuts as winter approaches.

This is on top of the £806m in savings directors across England committed to make in their budgets this year, researchers found.

The LGA and ADASS warned that the true cost of social care for local councils is “likely to be even higher”, as the cost of providing care to all of those people who need it is “not included in the current projections”. 

It was found that there are nearly a quarter of a million people waiting for their care needs to be assessed, and a “significant” number of them are likely to be entitled to some form of council-funded social care, whether short-term support or long-term care.

The survey also revealed an 8% increase to waiting lists with 470,000 older and disabled people waiting for care to start, direct payments, or their care needs to be assessed.

“While this is down 20,000 since last autumn, it is still unacceptably high and reflects the continuing challenges around recruitment and retention of care staff”, said the organisations.

Further, analysis from the LGA found that councils in England face a funding gap of £4 billion over the next two years, which is a £1 billion increase since the LGA’s initial analysis in July.

ADASS President, Beverley Tarka, said, “Without the extra funds the Government has invested in adult social care this year, we’d be in an even worse place. But what this survey shows is while that’s stopped the ship sinking, it hasn’t moved us out of the storm we’re trying to navigate.

“Social care leaders and their teams are struggling to find savings and meet people’s needs at least minimally, but they can’t perform miracles from already overstretched budgets. Thousands of people are waiting for their council to assess their care needs and some of these people will reach crisis point and end up in hospital this winter, because they haven’t got the support they need in time."

Tarka added: “Ahead of the Autumn Statement, we are calling on Government to provide an additional £900 million to stabilise adult social care, helping us to recruit and retain more care workers and support more people that need care and support now.

“In the longer term we need a fully funded plan for social care which takes account of the true cost of essential social care. We ask that the government demonstrate that it values the lives of all of us, not least people needing and working in social care. Older and disabled people, people from poorer and culturally diverse communities, carers, people with mental ill health, those experiencing domestic abuse and the largely female workforce, are leading restricted or foreshortened lives, when social care can support gloriously ordinary lives.”

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board said: “Councils are facing severe funding and demand pressures, meaning finances are under strain like never before.  

“The easy savings have long since gone. Councils are being faced with tough decisions about cutting valued services, increasing council tax and fees and charges during a cost-of-living crisis.  

“Immediate investment is needed in the Autumn Statement in order to address unmet and under-met need and ensure timely access to social care for all who need it.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are investing up to £700 million over this year and next to make major improvements to the adult social care system. This includes £42.6 million to support innovation in care and increasing the Disabled Facilities Grant by £50 million.

“Additionally, we have made up to £8.1 billion available to help local authorities tackle waiting lists, low fee rates, and workforce pressures, £570 million of which is to improve adult social care provision, in particular by boosting the workforce."

Lottie Winson