Council highlights adult social care budget pressures

29 Jun 2020 02:05
Published by: Scott Callan

Cheshire East Council has joined the call for significant additional funding to meet the rising costs of adult social care during the Covid-19 crisis.

It has added its voice to the County Council Network and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) in the request for more cash.

Across Cheshire East, thousands of people rely on adult social care to provide them with the support they need to live their everyday lives. 

Services provide care, support and safeguard the most vulnerable. They support residents who are disabled or older, help residents to live independently and offer end of life care.

The council says that before the current crisis, the care sector was already under severe financial pressure.

After the start of the pandemic, Cheshire East carried out a survey of care providers. It identified “significant additional costs” incurred as a direct result of Covid-19, including agency staff, overtime, cleaning and IT.

It also highlighted a range of “extra unforeseen costs” for care providers, including supplying additional uniforms for infection control purposes, an increase in the price of food, more recruitment, a drop in income due to a reduction in private clients and the capacity to provide other services.

Laura Jeuda, council cabinet member for adult social care and health, said: “The impact of Covid-19 across Cheshire East and the rest of the country has been profound.

“Some additional funding is supporting residents in care homes, those who receive care at home, staff who are ill or self-isolating, residents who have been shielding, victims of domestic abuse and those suffering from poor mental health.

“Sadly, we are also supporting a small but significant number of families and friends of residents who have lost their lives.

 

“The pandemic has placed unprecedented demands on care providers, not only from a financial perspective, but also in terms of their legal and moral duty of care to their staff and residents.

“The sector, including 92 care homes, 59 care at home providers and 73 complex care providers, has shown remarkable resilience in the numerous ways it has addressed this challenge.

“We are calling on the government to inject more cash into adult social care to ensure that it gets the support it needs to continue to provide good quality and safe services to our most vulnerable residents.”

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