LGA responds to Home Care Association report on social care pay

25 Oct 2021 04:56 PM

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responded to a report by the Home Care Association which states how much every council responsible for social care pays per hour for home care services 

“Councils work closely with care providers and understand their concerns about paying a fair price for the cost of care. Such is the scale of funding pressures, this is proving harder to achieve and we urgently need new national funding to meet immediate pressures in the social care system.

“Our own estimates show £1.5 billion is needed now to stabilise the care provider market and then £1.1 billion per year over the next three years, to meet extra costs from rising demand for social care while maintaining current levels of quality and access.

“The new Health and Social Care Levy is intended to address the issue of a fair rate for care, but we question whether this will raise enough to adequately fund all the commitments in the Government’s social care plan. We also need to see a greater share of the Levy go to frontline social care from the outset.

“The Spending Review and forthcoming white paper must set out how these immediate and short-term pressures in social care will be addressed, including on the cost of care, if we are to build back better and develop a care and support system fit for the future.”

Homecare deficit exposed