Regular News - 22 December 2023
Written by Lucy Nichol - Edited by CACHE Alumni
Sector news update
Welcome to our last sector update of 2023, where we look at UK-wide news as well as specific updates for England, Scotland and Wales in terms of government investment and local authority pressures.
General social care news
The Guardian has reported on a £64bn funding boost by the Government to stave off local authority bankruptcies. It says the 6.5% increase in funding for local councils in England is a desperate attempt to stop them going bankrupt after an unprecedented number of councils have said they are at risk.
⇨ Read more here
Meanwhile, The MJ has reported that local councils are spending 75% of their budgets on adult social care.
⇨ Read more here
In Wales, the Government has held back an extra £8m this winter for social care in a bid to support people at greatest risk to stay well.
⇨ Read more here
A piece in Business News Wales talks of five ways innovation is supporting health and social care in Wales – with innovations in medication management and pain management referenced.
⇨ Read the full story here
In Scotland, the health secretary has confirmed that the Government has delayed its flagship plan to set up a National Care Service by three years.
⇨ Read the full story here
Staffing, recruitment and retention
Unison has released a statement headlined ‘Government should focus on fixing social care, not playing politics with people’s lives.’
⇨ Read the full statement here
An article on Money Marketing asks if the delay to social care reform is impacting financial planning advice. It talks of the issues caused by government blowing hot and cold on reform, and how this can cause a lack of clarity in people’s future financial plans.
⇨ Read the full story here
A Panorama investigation has revealed that social care workers from overseas feel trapped in their jobs due to visa rules that state they must find a job within 60 days of leaving employment or risk being returned to their home country. It argues that these terms are exploited by some employers who are treating staff badly.
⇨ Read the full article here
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has insisted that the UK social care sector is ‘broadly relaxed’ about recent changes to the country’s immigration policy – despite signs to the contrary.
⇨ Read more here
Children’s care
The Government has published a new statement/update on children’s social care reform. The statement includes updates on the national kinship strategy, a children’s social care national framework, safeguarding, investment and data.
⇨ Read the full update here
And finally….
An academic research project, carried out in collaboration with the CQC, has found that residents, families, care home staff and care home inspectors strongly believe that people living in care homes should be able to continue drinking alcohol when they move into a home. The study concludes that alcohol can play a part in having a ‘good life’ in care homes.
⇨ Read more here
We’ll be back in touch in the New Year with more updates, news and views. Happy holidays!
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