Regular News - 8 January 2024
Written by Lucy Nichol - Edited by CACHE Alumni
Sector news update
Happy new year! Welcome to our first sector update of 2024, where we have more views on the Government’s migration policy, a couple of interesting podcasts to listen to, and articles exploring the impact of discrimination in the sector relating to race and LGBTQ+ communities.
General social care news
Social Services in Wales have forecast a budget gap of £646m over the next three years, warning that cuts will have to be made unless they receive extra funding.
⇨ Read more here
A piece in Labour List outlines 5 health and social care pledges that the party could implement if it were to win a general election, including scrapping student debt for social care graduates.
⇨ Read more here
Independent Care Group chair, Mike Padgham, is calling on the country to ‘care more in 24’ with ideas for reform, including a debate as to whether the social care sector should be entirely non-profit.
⇨ Read more here
Have you ever considered the impact of discrimination and homophobia in the social care sector and how it impacts individuals? This interesting piece in the BMJ talks about the discrimination and stigma faced by older LGBTQ+ people, and how we can provide more inclusive care.
⇨ Read the full story here
Innovation and tech
This piece in AT Today talks about how digital care is providing hope, and covers tech such as medication prompts, activity monitoring and voice reminders that can all help people living in their own homes.
⇨ Read the full story here
Staffing, training, recruitment and retention
We’ve reported before on the issues of racism in the sector and how this affects colleagues. This Community Care podcast looks at racism coming internally from other colleagues, as well as racism from the families that employees are supporting. It discusses how team managers can deal with these issues, and how much has changed since the death of George Floyd.
⇨ Listen here
The Government has updated its migration policy with a ‘partial’ U-turn according to Care Home Professional. This article looks at the controversial policy relating to dependants of care workers.
⇨ Read the full story here
There’s more on the migration policy in Economics Observatory, focusing on the rise in job openings in the social care sector and arguing that the country can’t afford to turn away migrants.
⇨ Read more here
A care charity was ordered to pay £12,000 to an employee dismissed after Covid vaccination row.
⇨ Read the full article here
Children’s care
This piece from the US discusses the financial struggles many American families are facing as they juggle multiple jobs in order to be able to afford childcare costs. Please be aware that some of the details may not apply in the UK, but it’s interesting to look at how similar challenges are being faced in other countries.
⇨ Read the full update here
And finally….
Ever wondered how services are turned around after being rated as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted? This Community Care podcast features an interview with a principal social worker about Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s children’s services and their remarkable turnaround.
⇨ Listen here
We’ll be back in touch in a fortnight with more updates, news and views.
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