Councillors call for social care reform
More than nine in 10 councillors from across the country and political spectrum have called on government to give greater priority to social care and start committing more resources to it now.
Adult social care
Staff at residential homes ‘must have jab’
People working in care homes in England will need to have had both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by October unless they have a medical exemption, under new laws to protect residents.
Adult social services’ ‘deluge’ of requests
Adult social services are facing a ‘deluge’ of requests for care and support from older people and disabled people of working age as society opens up after COVID-19, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has warned.
Framework for integrated care published
The NHS has set out how it will ask NHS leaders and partner organisations, including councils, to operate in integrated care systems from April 2022.
Sleep-in shifts court ruling
The Supreme Court has ruled that the national minimum wage does not apply to hours when workers are expected to sleep, including time when care workers are paid to sleep overnight in someone’s home on a precautionary basis.
£120m for social care staffing
The Government has announced an extra £120 million for councils to help tackle staffing issues in adult social care. The money can be used for additional care staff where shortages arise, support for administrative tasks so experienced and skilled staff can focus on providing care and help, and overtime payments or help with childcare costs so existing staff can take on extra hours, if they wish.
White Paper ‘to join up health and care’
Plans to reform health and care services in England so they can work more closely together have been published in a Government White Paper.
A celebration of older people
Silver Sunday is the national day for older people and takes place this year on 3 October. It is a special day in the national calendar, when everyone can come together to put older people at the heart of their community.
Short-termism ‘hampering’ adult social care
Short-term funding and the lack of a long-term vision for adult social care have hampered local authorities’ ability to innovate and plan for the future, according to a report by the National Audit Office.
‘Review private equity role in care placements’
The LGA has urged the Government’s review of children’s social care to consider the impact of increasing private equity and stock market involvement in the system, after publishing new research that shows the six largest independent providers of placements made £219 million in profit last year.