LGA responds to Independent Age report on care homes

11 Apr 2017 09:49 AM

Vice Chair of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, Cllr Linda Thomas, responded to new research from Independent Age on care home quality in England

“The regional variations in care home performance highlighted by Independent Age’s report are a concern and something councils take very seriously.

“However it is important to note that the Care Quality Commission’s most recent state of care report found that across the country more than 70 per cent of social care services are rated good or outstanding and only 2 per cent as inadequate.

“This report looks at all care homes, and although councils commission a significant proportion of places in care homes, nationally more than 40 per cent of places in care homes are purchased by individuals not councils, and not all care homes have contracts with councils.

“The fees councils pay, the contracts they manage and the support offered, all contribute to performance levels.

“But crucially, it is the way in which services are run by providers that is the most critical factor in ensuring a high quality of care.

“The findings of this report also further reinforces the need for an urgent review of how adult social care is funded, if we are to tackle the serious threats to social care provision, including any variation in care home quality.

“The announcement of £2 billion for adult social care in the Spring Budget marked a significant step towards protecting the services caring for older and disabled people in our communities over the next few years, but it will not deal with all short-term pressures and it is not the long-term solution to the funding crisis that we have consistently called for. It is impossible to plan for the future without assurances of this long-term funding.

“The Government's Green Paper provides the opportunity to begin a much-needed meaningful national conversation about how, as a society, we should best support people of all ages with care and support needs in our communities.”