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Councils respond to
Government rules over ₤2 billion extra social care funding
RESPONDING to the Government framework,
that has just been published, which includes how the ₤2 billion extra funding
for Social Care, over the next 3 years, should be spent, BoltonLabour
Councillor, Linda Thomas, who is the Vice Chair of the Local Government
Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said:- "The ₤1 billion of
additional Social Care funding this year, followed by ₤674 million in 2018 to
2019 and ₤337 million in 2019 to 2020, represents vital funding needed for
services caring for the most vulnerable older and disabled people in our
communities over the next 3 years. Recent NHS England and NHS Improvement
correspondence to NHS providers has encouraged local health colleagues to pursue
'their share' of the ₤2 billion to free up capacity in NHS acute services, with
an explicit reference to the funding representing 2,000 to 3,000 more Hospital
beds. This is unhelpful and misleading. The Policy framework for the Better Care
Fund, including the additional funding for Social Care, reiterates what was
announced in the Budget by clearly stating that the funds can be used to meet
Adult Social care need more generally and to help stabilise the care market as
well as on measures to support Hospital discharge.Councils and NHS partners will
continue to work together to ensure people are discharged from hospital promptly
and safely when a Hospital stay is necessary. However, it is important to
remember that social care is about much more than just freeing up Hospital bed
space. It is about providing care and support for people to enable them to live
more independent, fulfilled lives, not just older people, but those with mental
health conditions, learning and physical disabilities. Hospitals account for
only 1 in 5 Adult Social Care referrals, and so this new funding may best ease
pressure on NHS and Council Services by being directed at addressing wider
pressures, such as reversing planned cuts to Adult Social Care Provision, which
would exacerbate pressure on Local Health Services. Local Councils and their NHS
partners know where the pressures are in their communities better than anyone
else. It is important that Clinical Commissioning Groups now work closely with
Councils to ensure Health and Wellbeing Boards can quickly agree plans to spend
the extra funding so that Councils can get on with implementing the measures
most needed in their area. The extra funding announced in the Budget is just a
starting point and short term pressures remain. To close the funding gap still
facing social care by 2020 and beyond additional funding needs to be recurrent
and put into Local Government baselines. It's critical that the Government's
Green Paper on social care finds a long term solution that reforms and fully
funds our care system. This is essential if we are to ensure people can live
independent, fulfilling lives in the community, and avoid widespread failure
amongst organisations providing care."
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