The latest Social care 360 report highlighted key trends across the sector. Saoirse Mallorie shares three trends that shocked her, but could easily be overlooked.
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I have lived adult social care for going on 40 years in the care for my disabled daughter (really my step-daughter, but in reality my daughter) and cared for her with my wife, who sadly died 26 September 2020. My daughter had many conditions from birth, multiple physical disabilities, learning disabilities, a sensory disability (blind in right eye) and eventually a diagnosis of autism. By that time we were in receipt of 24/7 care for her, built up from some care starting in 2008 and then gradually increasing with the declining health of my wife and eventually myself. Then came to an end with the totally unexpected death of my daughter on 4 October 2022, but not due to the lack of care which was excellent, for we had the services of a very good care provider and their equally excellent care workers. All the care was given in our own home, so we were there to see the amount and quality of care being given.
However, I am well aware, this is not always so, due to my many activities I also undertake, being a Carer rep on Sheffield LD Partnership Board, a Carer rep on the Carers and Young Carers Partnership Board, a member of Sheffield Carers Centre Expert Panel, involvement with Healthwatch Sheffield and Disability Sheffield, a Trustee of Sheffield Mencap & Gateway, facilitating a LD Family Carers Support group and running 2 blogs and a weekly newsletter as well as attending many meeting with Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust.
So I am well aware of the crisis’s in both social care and the NHS, both caused by insufficient funding and massive staff vacancies, so much more in social care than the NHS. But whatever funding is made available appears to concentrate on the NHS rather than social care. Staff salaries are so insufficient in all areas of the NHS, but again, much more so in social care.
For it is stated that care workers are unskilled, when this is so much incorrect and are highly skilled, if care is to be given in both quantity and quality.
I am not surprised in your findings, but are so disappointed in them, not because they are incorrect, but because they are so true and there for all to see, with the possible except of not only this government, but all previous and sorry to say any future governments, as I don’t see any governments prepared to listen and then take the required actions.
It is said there is no money, but money is always found when needed to and in the case of social care it is so much needed, I have been saying £12 billion and then similar for all years to come, but the Local Government Association is saying £13 billion. They are so much more in the know than me, so £13 billion it is, but it is needed now and then consistently for years to come.
For without social care, our so much valued NHS will not survive, for both require each other.
But the facts are relating to adult social care, when a similar exercise is needed in children’s social care, as if there was and there is then sufficient social care available for children, this would, in some degree reduce some of the increases in adult social care, but not all. If all social care was sufficient, both for children and adults, then the current needs to access the NHS would also be considerably reduced, but not all together.
Some government Ministers are saying families should do more, but in 2021 Family Carers saved the UK £193billion up from the £132 billion in 2015, so how much more can families provide, they are providing care and will continue to do so, for as long as they can and perhaps even longer, as they don’t take into account their own health for that is the last they do, if ever. I know this to be true, as this was so for my own wife and also myself and many other family carers I am in contact with.
The Government Ministers are just looking for scapegoats and feel they have in family carers, while they are totally ignoring what is and has occurred and will continue to do, if governments don’t act as they should already have done so.
I know I am stating the obvious and could well be, I believe, to someone who is already in the know of much of this.
But, the urgency is not just obtaining all that is required, but the education of government, no matter how reluctant they are to be educated. I see this for all members not just of this current government, but for all MPs and all prospective MPs. Many in the Lords are aware of some of this and have produced many reports to make this knowledge known, for I have been, in a small way, part of some of the research they have been doing by participating in the research through part of the University of Sheffield.
Myself being nearly 74 and my own health very much declining will not be around to see any improvements, even though I so hope I will be. But improvement there have to be without any further delays, for even delaying much to 2025 is way too late, as it should be now 2023, left alone years ago, but that is down to disinterest of government past and present.
So, my real hope is that interest, so much more than before will be undertaken by the present government and all future governments, but I really feel my hopes will not be achieved, which is extremely bad news for persons in need of care, for the existence of social care and also the NHS.
If actions are not taken very soon both social care and the NHS will be lost.
Source: Three surprising trends in adult social care | The King’s Fund
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