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''Our Social Care System Needs Urgent Reform...''

CCFTV applauds the public accounts committee statement today urging the Government to accelerate the social care reform agenda and to at least commit to a plan by the end of the year. It is nevertheless difficult not to be despondent given the cross-party procrastination that has prevailed for many years when it comes to the social care sector.

Whilst we acknowledge and accept that the impact of the pandemic had required all Government agencies to focus their efforts on recovery, the social care situation during that timeframe has become even more unstable. It is imperative that reform progresses urgently and that above all else social care delivery is modernised and made fit for purpose in the 21st century.

Funding must be reviewed to end the postcode lotteries and bring parity across all regions, it must be adequate to provide a high standard of care for older people. It is ridiculous that in some local authorities care home daily fee rates are lower than that of budget hotels. Fees should reflect the professionalisation of care, ensuring staff are well remunerated for what is a very responsible role.

Regulation must be modernised. Inspections have been undertake in exactly the same manner for thirty years or more and yet the incidence of inadequate care and safeguarding numbers have not abated. It is surely time for the use of surveillance and monitoring systems that can allow virtual inspection at any time of day and on a randomised basis. Families want to know in a national crisis such as a pandemic, that regulation continues and their loved ones aren’t simply abandoned. Families want much more transparency for their loved ones in care.

For providers with failing homes and inadequate ratings, much closer scrutiny is required. It cannot be acceptable to leave residents living in an inadequate service for days and weeks on end before another inspection is undertaken to reassess a service. Virtual systems would facilitate daily review, which is why we will continue to campaign for mandatory safety monitoring in all care homes as soon as possible.

It is our view that social care needs to follow the Northern Ireland model with the NHS being further resourced and then effectively responsible for social care provision. That would prevent situations such as hospital bed blocking simply because a local authority doesn’t want to commit the funding or indeed doesn’t have the funding.

CCFTV would again urge Government to commit to actions and not empty promises. The Prime Minister on the morning post his election win confirmed on the steps of Downing Street that social care reform was a top priority. It is now time to ensure it is.