Despite welcome extra funding and councils protecting and
planning to spend more on adult social care budgets, difficult
decisions and more cuts need to be made in the service, according
to a survey of 151 adult social services directors in England.
Research published today by the Association of Directors of Adult
Social Services (ADASS) reveals that the proportion of council
spending on adult social care is set to increase by 1.3 per cent
– from 35.6 per cent in 2016/17 to 36.9 per cent this year.
However, councils are still having to make 8 per cent cuts in
overall budgets for a second year in succession due to increasing
costs and demand.
Directors plan to make further savings of £824 million in
2017/18, taking cumulative savings in adult social care since
2010 to £6.3 billion. But with a reported overspend of £366
million against 2016/17 budgets, Directors are finding it
increasingly hard to implement planned cuts in practice.
Despite a welcome £2 billion in extra funding being made
available to help alleviate adult social care pressures, only 31
per cent of responders are fully confident that planned savings
for 2017/18 will be met, falling to 7 per cent in 2019/20,.
Margaret Willcox, President of ADASS, said:
“Councils are determined to protect adult social services budgets
as much as possible, which is reflected in their planned increase
in spend on adult social care.
“The welcome £2 billion in funding will help close the funding
gap facing adult social care, yet councils still plan to make
further savings of £824 million this year which will impact on
those who receive care.
“This is because more older and disabled people are living longer
and with increasingly complex support needs, as well as financial
pressures caused by the welcome national living wage and other
cost pressures, including emerging ones from the NHS such as
fines for delayed transfers of care.
“For the first time, financial pressures due to the increasing
care needs of younger adults with disabilities or mental health
problems are greater than those due to supporting older people.
“The opportunity to invest in prevention to reduce future demand
is being hampered by the need to help those with greatest and
immediate need – those who we have a statutory duty towards.
“With providers continuing to close or return contracts back to
councils, more people are struggling to access the care they need
and depend on. To help remedy this worrying situation, the new
Government needs to tackle the chronic underfunding of adult
social care which still remains on a cliff edge.”
Two-thirds of Directors funded their overspends last year from
council reserves (67 per cent) and by underspending in other
council departments (66 per cent).
The overall net budget for adult social services has risen by 8
per cent this year to £14.2 billion, from £13.1 billion last
year.
Despite this, less than 7 per cent of Directors feel at all
optimistic about the future financial state of the local health
and care economy in their own areas.
The survey also found:
-
· Directors
have major concerns about the sustainability of the care market.
Failure within the provider market has affected at least 69 per
cent of councils in the last 6 months, while 74 per cent of
responders believe that providers are facing quality challenges
- · In
almost all areas, the existing Better Care Fund (BCF) is
providing no more resources in real terms than the existing NHS
transfer to adult social care in 2014/15
- · The
increasing needs of working age adults are having an increasing
financial impact. This year’s older people’s services account for
1.1 per cent of the total 2.8 per cent reported pressures on
adult social care budgets, while those for working age people
account for more, at 1.7 per cent
-
· Reduced
budgets are making it harder for councils to manage the tension
between spending on statutory duties, and prevention and early
intervention – the most important priority area to make savings
and reduce future need. But spend on prevention forms 6.3 per
cent of budgets this year, which is less than last year.
Margaret said: “The need for a long-term solution to
establish a strong and sustainable health and care system in the
most fair and affordable way has never been more urgent or vital.
“We urge the Government to honour its commitment to the Green
Paper, which is key to the solution to ensure certainty and
continuity of personal, dignified care for those who need it now
and those who will do so in increasing numbers in years to come.”
