Scarborough-based care group chairman hits out over ‘worsening’ social care crisis

As a national campaign urged the Government to set out how it plans to protect older and vulnerable adults, the Independent Care Group backed Care England’s call for urgent action.

Care England today launched a campaign to get the Government to publish its Green Paper on social care – setting out how it will protect and guarantee beds for those in need.

It has found that many councils have not made any increase in the fees they pay to care providers for the beds they provide, despite rising costs.

The Independent Care Group’s Chairman, Mike Padgham, said: “I welcome Care England’s campaign pointing out that today we see evidence that the country is not equipped to look after our oldest and most vulnerable adults.

Mr Padgham, owner of Saint Cecilia’s Care Services which operates three care businesses in Scarborough, said: “Councils are not keeping pace with the cost of providing care and so care homes are being forced to close or cut back on provision. The Government should fund local authorities adequately so they can discharge their responsibilities.

“The 1.4m people currently living without care is a national disgrace and that figure is only set to increase.

“We are promised that the Green Paper on social care should be published ‘before April’.

“But given that it has been delayed at least four times so far and the continuing wrangling over Brexit, that looks less and less likely.

“The situation is becoming intolerable.

“With care homes closing and homecare providers handing back unviable contracts, more and more people aren’t getting the care they need.

“For the sake of the 1.4m people who aren’t getting care and the many more who will join them this year, we can’t allow that to continue another day more.”

After contacting all councils in England to ask about the fee increases they are paying to care home providers in 2018-19, Care England found that one in five made no increase in the baseline rate for nursing home beds, 18% made no increase for nursing home beds for people with dementia and 22% paid no increase for residential care home beds, including for those with dementia.