EXTRA FUNDING?

While extra funding from the new health and social care levy announced by the government in September 2021 will be welcome, substantial questions remain about the sustainability of adult social care providers.

In the 2021 Spring survey by the Association Directors of Adult Social Service, 82% of directors reported that they were concerned about the sustainability of some of their home care providers, and 77% about some of their care home providers. One of the report’s key messages was that “COVID-19 short-term funding has helped to prevent failure but there is profound uncertainty about the future”.

Vacancies may increase further as hospitality and travel industries speed up recruitment and offer incentives to new staff. These industries can offer higher salaries than the care sector. Staff from adult social care may also take up vacant posts in hospitals – especially registered nurses.

These influences, combined with the effects of the requirement for all care home workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, may lead to more care staff leaving, unless a new deal for the care workforce is developed.