Regular News - 15 April 2024
Written by Lucy Nichol - Edited by CACHE Alumni
Sector news update
Hello and welcome to our latest fortnightly news update where we’ve got criticism of Labour’s new social care plans, an increase in council spending on social care and a shocking report on the substandard care being provided to care home residents in the UK.
General social care news
Labour have come under criticism for the cost of their social care plans according to a piece in The Telegraph. The article states that Labour’s idea to hand trade unions greater powers to bargain for social workers’ pay could cost billions.
⇨ Read the full article here
National charity Community Transport Association is calling for the next UK government to utilise community solutions in a hard-hitting manifesto on the state of accessible transport in the UK.
⇨ Read more here
A new report has revealed that councils are spending over £200 per person more on social care compared to a decade ago.
⇨ Read the full story here
Kirsty McHugh of The Carer’s Trust writes a letter published in the Guardian on the financial, physical and emotional toll of being an unpaid carer.
⇨ Read the full article here
One in five care home residents languish in substandard care according to shocking new figures.
⇨ Read more here
Technology
NHS-approved digital platform, Log my Care has raised £3m of funding to home in on provisions for carers of patients with learning disabilities.
⇨ Read the full story here
Children’s Care
The ability to pause Ofsted inspections in circumstances where there are concerns for leaders’ wellbeing will be extended to cover children’s social care and early years providers.
⇨ Read more here
Recruitment and Retention
Community Care reports that social care staff are being paid below minimum wage, with some reporting rates as low as £9 per hour.
⇨ Read more here
Adult social care providers who directly employ care staff will be able to claim up to £4.5m each towards training courses for care staff and continuing professional development for regulated practitioners in 2024-2025.
⇨ Read more here
The British Association of Social Workers has said that a national support programme for overseas workers should be seriously considered.
⇨ Read the full story here
And finally….
MPs are calling for people to share their lived experiences of children’s social care as part of their investigation into how the Government could improve services. To take part you can complete an online survey and find out more about the investigation on the link below.
⇨ Find out more here
We’ll be back in touch in a fortnight with more updates, news and views.
Back to Sector News