Until the votes have been cast, anything is possible. However, there’s a degree of inevitability about tomorrow’s General Election. Political mind games aside, Labour is expected to take charge on 4 July – by what margin, remains to be seen.
The prospect of a change in government brings with it mixed emotions for a social care sector that has been woefully underserved for many years – one of expectation and hope, together with a sense of realism over what has come before. Independent reviews have promised much but, so far, those recommendations have failed to enact the kind of change the industry is calling for. So, will things change if Labour is elected?
If the party’s manifesto is anything to go by, then no. Social care gets very little mention in a manifesto that focuses on ‘wealth creation’ for working people, green initiatives, and border and security command. It does touch upon creating a ‘National Care Service’, designed to address the issue of elderly hospital discharge, but details on wider adult social care are limited to mere sentiments, such as: “Mental health legislation is also woefully out of date. The treatment of people with autism and learning difficulties is a disgrace.”
There is also mention of Young Futures Hubs, which will essentially bring back youth work and a lot of features of early help, particularly in relation to crime reduction and mental health improvement. This could be a very positive step forward if promises turn into reality.
Given a lack of detail in relation to social care, what should a future government be focusing on to help kick-start reform and industry-wide improvements?
Recruitment and skills
Social care has lost a lot of good people to other sectors in recent years, and needs to regain a competitive advantage when it comes to talent and skills. The next government must listen to the workforce challenges being faced by the sector and work collaboratively with industry leaders to ensure it becomes an attractive career prospect for future employees. This includes ensuring that qualifications are robust and accessible, with more apprenticeships and training and development on offer.
A route to supported living
Many of our business community provide vital specialist care for adults with complex needs through supported living that allows individuals to live independently. This not only reduces the burden placed on unpaid carers, such as family and friends, but also provides a route out of institutionalised care.
Labour’s manifesto does touch upon ‘home-first care’ to help people live independently, but it steers away from detail. More needs to be said and done around adult social care across the piste and not just on elderly care, which understandably takes much of the limelight. Whether this is by stimulating the investment market through greater mortgage options, or by looking at the part housing benefits have to play in the supported living system, more has to be done.
Children’s services
This is one area that gets little mention by political parties, but one that needs as much care and attention as any of part of social care. As always, initiatives and funding to address early intervention and help is vital, but there is equally much to be said about the relationship between local authorities and the private sector.
Greater collaboration is needed between the government, the public sector and the private sector to find solutions that ultimately benefit young people and enable providers of all types to deliver positive outcomes for those individuals that they care for.
The reality is, little will change immediately, perhaps not even in the first political term, but we need to keep striving for change; we must still make our voices heard; and we must still keep sight of our raison d’etre – delivering positive outcomes.
A view from the Tristone business community
Doreen Kelly is managing director of Beyond Limits, which provides support for people with learning disabilities, mental health issues, and other support needs. They enable people to live in the community, so they can lead meaningful and rewarding lives. She says that more needs to be done to address the endemic recruitment and retention issues.
Doreen also said a priority for the next government has to be transforming the care agenda and ultimately closing care institutions. She commented: “People with learning disabilities and mental health issues can often get stuck in long stay hospitals and large institutions for many years. Aside from it being a big waste of taxpayers’ money, those individuals are not getting good enough care. What we need is an individualised support approach that assigns appropriate budgets to each individual. Most importantly, it needs to take into account the basic human rights of people in social care. They are citizens of this country, just like you or me. They have got the right to a good home, as well as good quality care.
She added: “Another big issue is ensuring there is enough good housing for people with disabilities to live in, so they can lead independent lives with the right support structure around them. Ultimately, funding is not being used to achieve great things and deliver fantastic outcomes, and that needs to addressed as a matter of urgency.”
