The King’s Fund published a new long read analysing six key issues for adult social care, the options for tackling them and The King’s Fund’s view.
The piece includes contributions made at two workshops, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, from policy-makers, people who draw on services and other people working in the sector. The recommendations and findings include:
- The Casey Commission should specifically consider the benefits of moving towards a national assessment of social care needs.
- The cost of providing care should be more of a partnership between the individual and the state, with the state bearing most of the cost but the individual contributing if they can afford it.
- The Government’s proposed £500 million as part of the Fair Pay Agreement for the care workforce is a welcome first step, though it will not solve long-standing issues of recruitment by itself.
- It is not sustainable for social care providers to regularly face cost rises that are far in advance of the fee increases they receive from local authorities.