There are many challenges facing adult social care in the UK, with many people not receiving the care and support they need, while care professionals themselves are left undervalued and unpaid carers are left facing significant amounts of pressure to provide other avenues of support.
Social care costs are also on the rise, with £32 billion spent between 2023 and 2024, and this is unlikely to decrease in the future, as the UK’s population continues to age, with the number of those aged between 65 and 79 expected to rise by almost a third to surpass ten million in the next 40 years.
Furthermore, the number of those over the age of 80 is set to more than double to reach over six million.
As such, it’s vital that the sector is reformed, but governments appear reluctant to make the necessary changes when the costs of doing so are presented to them. But a new report from the Health and Social Care Committee aims to flip this on its head and consider what the costs of complete inaction or, at best, incremental change would be.
Pushing through vital reforms will deliver both value for money and positive outcomes for people, instead of simply continuing to be a drain on resources that are already stretched.
The committee is also keen to reframe the narrative that exists around adult social care, encouraging the government to view it in a more positive light, with the sector seen as an enabler that supports people to live independent lives while driving health reform forwards to prevent ill health, grow the economy and increase employment rates.
It was concluded: “The government has recognised the need for reform and we note the announcement of the Casey Commission and recent changes to the adult social care career structure. However, this needs to be supported by a robust understanding at the centre of government about the cost of ‘doing nothing’.
“Otherwise, we fear that reforms will, as previously, be frustrated by concerns about the expense, ignoring the cost of the status quo and leaving us all continuing to pay for a failing system. We are making the case for change, emphasising that continuing to do nothing is an active decision, and it isn’t a tenable one.”
Recommendations made in the report include:
– Specific workstreams to reduce the pressure on unpaid carers (particularly young carers), considering how to support them more effectively, ensure they get the respite they need and how businesses can be incentivised to employ and support them.
– Publishing an annual assessment of the level of unmet care needs for adults, with methodology and supporting data to deliver transparency and permit scrutiny.
– Securing agreements on funding structures for adult social care to help support local authorities.
– Higher wages for those in the industry to deliver better quality care, while reducing recruitment and training costs.
– Research to better understand the costs facing the NHS because of failures in adult social care, as well as where the health service is saving money because of good social care.
