Watchdog warns over social care cuts
Central and local government are unaware how long adult social care systems can cope under mounting pressure, a report has suggested.
Thomas Bridge 13 March 2014
Government departments do not know how close the adult care system is to reaching capacity, while major health reforms set to be introduced by the Care Bill will cause further ‘significant challenges’ for councils – according to the National Audit Office (NAO).
Town hall spending on adult social care fell by 8% between 2010/11 and 2012/13, with 87% of adults now living in regions that arrange services only for individuals with substantial or critical needs.
While the Department for Communities and Local Government expects service transformation, local efficiency initiatives and the Better Care Fund will ease financial pressures, the NAO said there was ‘weak evidence’ for which way of commissioning services was most effective.
Auditors added that efforts by DCLG and the Department of Health to understand the impact of changes or reduced spending on care, welfare and local services were not being matched by other government departments.
Patients 'imprisoned' in care homes, report finds
The committee said it was “very concerned by what we heard about the safeguards”
The report highlighted the case of Steven Neary, who has autism and a severe learning difficulty.
Vulnerable adults are being kept virtual prisoners in care homes because of misuse of mental health laws, a House of Lords committee says.
The report expressed serious concerns that safeguards brought in to protect vulnerable patients are actually being used to “oppress” them.
It looked at how reforms passed in 2005 are working, but called for a new system to be drawn up from scratch.
The Ministry of Justice said it welcomed the report.
Are expectations for integrating health and social care unrealistic?
Despite successive governments recognising the potential benefits of supporting older people to stay well, avoid injury and get back on their feet after a hospital admission, it has proved difficult to achieve change in practice.
That does not mean that there has been no progress. There are re-ablement and falls prevention services available in most local areas, and numerous examples of innovative projects being delivered through the third sector. However, the much called-for shift to a more preventive model is yet to become a reality.
