Hft responds to the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review
Victoria Hemmingway, Public Affairs and Policy Manager, commented:
“After a year when the adult social care sector has been firmly on the front line of the Covid-19 pandemic, the announcements made in today’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) are deeply disappointing. While access to an additional £1bn for local councils to fund social care is a welcome step, it is yet another stopgap solution, falling dramatically short of what is required to place the sector on a sustainable financial footing.
“Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the adult social care sector was stretched beyond its limits. Hft’s Sector Pulse report (2018-19), which provides an annual snapshot of the financial health of the social care sector, revealed earlier this year that 52% of care providers would need to close services in the near future due to financial pressures. Coupled with the unexpected additional costs of Covid-19, this places adult social care providers under undue strain, during a time when the service they provide is needed more than ever by some of the most vulnerable adults in society.
“The CSR includes a commitment to bring forward proposals on a funding solution for the social care sector next year. It is vital that the Government does not fall short on this promise yet again and ensures that the long-term future of social care is secured at the earliest possible opportunity.”
