Massive backlog in care cases on horizon as result of Government plans - Tom Page

Whilst this may seem like a fairer system meaning it reduces the amount that those with less capital will have to pay for their care costs, talking about it and implementing it are two entirely different matters.

There are major issues with the proposed social care reforms.

There are so many problems with it that many of us in the care industry are calling on the UK government to hold off by at least a year to delay a ‘perfect storm’ of pressures.

The reason is that the proposed changes mean there will effectively be nearly four times as many requests for Local Authority care.

Four times as many people eligible to receive more financial support.

Four times as many assessments, paperwork and providers to approve.

And the people who will have to deal with it? Local authorities.

Yes, the already overstretched, overworked and underfunded councils.

The people who already struggle to deal with the current number of care requests they receive.

So, asking them to try to cope with an extra influx the reforms entail would leave them even more short of staff and money.

I run a care company that supports clients who want quality care for their nearest and dearest to allow them to live in their own homes and I have many fears about the UK government’s plans.

I predict a massive backlog in care cases.

This means the health of those who are waiting for care deteriorates.

This in turn means GP and NHS services, trying to support those in need, take a hammering and it becomes a vicious circle as social care puts pressure on health services and vice versa.

Furthermore, when choosing care providers, the council is often forced to pick the cheapest.

As a quality private at-home care company, we aren’t often on that list, so we aren’t suddenly in danger of an influx of new people seeking care.

But what it means for those now forced to go through the council’s system is that they will get the lowest level of care because in my experience cheap means poor quality.

And a race to the bottom always ends badly for the person who actually needs the care.

There is an urgent need for more funding in social care.

Recruitment costs, staff wages and energy costs are all on the increase as we know and all those costs are going up but the government expects to pay the same amount for care – which is already unrealistic.

The people making decisions about UK social care reforms have clearly never run a care business.

Nor do they seem bothered about people working in councils who have to implement these ill-advised changes.

It’s all well and good standing at No 10 and saying this is what we’re going to do but what they’re actually doing is putting more stress on a system that’s already in crisis mode.

Tom Page is Managing Director at West Park Care