Age UK currently estimates that there are 2 million people aged 65+ who have unmet needs for care and support.
10% of those in later life have difficulty dressing, 6% struggle with bathing and 5% have difficulty just walking across a room. And it’s not just the funds to pay for care that are an issue. It’s the funds to make that care available to the people who so desperately need it. Greater financial support is needed for local authorities, who are currently having to cut back on care because they simply don’t have the money to provide it.
The recent findings of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) demonstrate significant failings in the UK health and social care systems. There is “insufficient attention paid to the effectiveness of care and a lack of focus on outcomes” for users and patients, and an overhaul the system is required to protect patient safety.
A big part of the problem is the lack of care workers available in much-needed roles. So much so that the government is offering £15 million to support international recruitment for the adult social care sector.
The funding aims to help in various areas relating to international recruitment, including identifying overseas candidates, completing sponsorship licence and visa applications, onboarding and ongoing support for international employees.
International recruits are such a focus due to the drop in domestic recruits which continues to be a problem. The turnover rate in frontline care worker roles is 41.1% for domestic recruits, and in the two years since March 2022, the number of British workers fell by 70,000. Thousands of British workers are leaving the sector, disillusioned by low wages, poor working conditions, and a perceived lack of career progression.
It’s estimated that more than half a million extra roles will be needed in the sector in the next 15 years to keep up with demand, based on a growing older population as people live longer. The LGA is urging the Government to implement a long-term, fully funded workforce strategy for adult social care, to attract and retain skilled staff. It’s more urgent than ever that the Government makes improvements to pay to encourage domestic workers into a career in care.
Calls for neighbourhood health and care schemes are steps being taken by the community to help support the system at a more granular level, combining community leadership and empowerment with the work of the statutory sector to improve health and wellbeing at a local level.
But the fact remains that real funding is required before a solution can be reached, facilitating accessible and affordable adult social care at a national level across the UK.