WIREDGOV

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responded to the Department of Health and Social Care’s announcement of a support package to protect the care sector this winter 

“Councils and care providers have done an incredible job throughout the pandemic and continue to do all they can to support and protect those in their care.

“The additional funding is positive, and it is important that it is allocated quickly and be easily accessible so that it can make an immediate impact this winter. Moving forward, adult social care services continue to need significant and sustainable long-term investment – as opposed to short-term cash injections – to make permanent improvements so that people are supported to live the life they want to lead.

“Support with the crucial booster programme is also good to see, and we hope that this will build on ongoing local authority efforts as councils know their communities and providers well and are best-placed to make interventions at a local level.

“Keeping residents safe is a key priority for councils and the visiting measures introduced will hopefully help to slow the spread of the Omicron variant, but a balanced approach is needed with adequate support for care homes and these measures must be kept under close review.”

Support package to protect care sector this winter