ICG backs day of action on social care

The Independent Care Group has thrown its weight behind a national day of action to call on the Government to help social care.

ICG representatives will join care providers from across the country when they converge on Westminster on 25th February.

They will be calling on the Government to review the impact the proposed increase in Employer’s National Insurance Contributions and rise in the National Living Wage will have on social care.

ICG Chair, Mike Padgham urged all providers to join the day of action, which is being organised by Providers Unite, a coalition of social care representatives.

“Enough is enough – we have to make a stand and show that the country cannot go on neglecting and ignoring social care any longer,” he said.

“We have had three decades of under-finding and neglect, of broken promises and of waiting for reform that has never come.

“And that has led us to a point where 2m people cannot get the care they need to enjoy a decent quality of life.

“That is a betrayal of people who deserve better - of grand-parents, parents, husbands and wives, aunts, uncles and friends.

“We have been politely asking for reform for 30 years or more and it has never come. On the 25th of February care providers have an opportunity to stand up and speak for those who don’t have a strong voice and to demand reform.

“I urge everyone who can get down to Westminster to go and show the Government that this time social care has to change.”

The planned day of action is a demonstration of the level of concern social care providers have over the impact budget measures will have on the delivery of care. They say that without Government help, the combined impact of increases in the Employer’s National Insurance Contributions and the National Living Wage could be devastating on a sector that is already on its knees. They fear provider closures and more people going without care.

Campaigners want the Government to review the budget measures, make social care providers exempt from the rise in National Insurance or to put more funding into the sector to help them cope with rising costs.

The day of action takes place on Tuesday, 25th February. More details: https://www.providersunite.co.uk/

ICG calls on council to rethink dementia hubs plan

The ICG is calling on North Yorkshire Council to look again at plans to create its own dementia hubs at a cost of up to £60m.

The care provider organisation, The Independent Care Group (ICG) has urged the authority to put the proposal out to tender so that others can bid to run the service.

It has also called for an independent overview of the council’s proposal.

North Yorkshire Council is considering building up to five hubs to provide residential care for up to 250 people with dementia.

The ICG has welcomed the planned additional dementia care provision but says the local authority should put the plan out to tender.

In a letter to the authority, ICG Chair Mike Padgham says: “At a time when North Yorkshire Council, like other local authorities, is under significant financial pressure, it is essential to consider whether this investment is necessary, particularly when independent care providers could deliver these hubs more efficiently. Investing in the existing independent sector would be a more effective use of resources, generating greater economic returns and reducing long-term costs across the health and social care system.

“Historically, local authorities moved away from in-house provision because commissioning from the independent sector delivered better value for the public purse. Independent providers bring existing infrastructure, economies of scale, and specialist expertise, making them best placed to deliver these services efficiently.”

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, added: "The independent sector is resilient, but it is facing unprecedented challenges due to the recent changes to Employers' National Insurance Contributions and the increase in the National Living Wage. These rising costs are putting immense pressure on providers, and they need support to navigate these difficult times. Rather than creating new services, the council should be focusing on supporting and investing in the independent sector it already has, helping to build capacity and improve care. Choosing to start a new service now risks sending the wrong message, suggesting a lack of confidence in the market when it is more important than ever to strengthen and sustain it."

Vital opportunity for social care missed, says ICG

The Government today missed a vital opportunity to invest in social care, help older and vulnerable people AND boost the economy, the ICG says.

Social care providers had hoped there might be some news in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s speech this morning about investment in the care of older and vulnerable adults.

But the ICG says the sector was left out in the cold again.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “The Government has missed a vital opportunity. Investment in social care helps those who need support and also provides a boost to the economy.

“The government has ignored that social care employs 1.6m people and contributes £68.1bn to the England economy – with the right investment it could employ and contribute even more.

“Care providers want to grow, invest and innovate, care for more people, employ more staff and help drive economic growth and aid the Government’s efforts to kick-start the economy.

“Instead, the sector continues to be left out in the cold and in crisis. Now 2m people cannot get the social care they need and that can mean others having to take time out of work to look after them, which is bad news for economic growth.”

He said successive governments had failed to see social care as a sector that should be invested in.

“Statistics show that for every £1 invested in social care, £1.75 is generated in the wider economy,” Mr Padgham added. “Quite apart from the clear social need to invest in the sector to support people, there is a very clear economic case too. It is disappointing that the Chancellor did not seize upon that this morning.”

The ICG wants the Government to invest at least an extra £2bn into social care to tackle short-term issues, pay social care staff properly and in line with their NHS colleagues and get on with creating a National Care Service that brings NHS and social care together under one roof.