Social care funding ‘will relieve hard-pressed councils and struggling staff’

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A stronger social care system, hand in hand with our NHS, will help people get the care they need, when and where they need it Care minister Helen Whately The funding will work alongside the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, the department said, “to build a stronger overall foundation for the health and social care workforce”. “A stronger social care system, hand in hand with our NHS, will help people get the care they need, when and where they need it.” The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said the funding will help with the challenges faced in winter, and “will bring relief to disabled and older adults, their families and carers, who rely on care and support services to live their lives”. She added: “Directors of adult social care like me will sleep better knowing we have more resources to go towards meeting the ever-increasing need for social care.” She said the funding “won’t solve all these problems over the long-term, but it will help stabilise the situation and help us address the challenges this winter”. “A comprehensive programme of reform is needed so that we have a stable, thriving workforce whose terms and conditions attract the growing numbers we need over the coming decades.” Simon Bottery, senior fellow at The King’s Fund, said the £600 million “will offer some relief to hard-pressed local authorities and some of the money should feed through to struggling social care providers and staff, and therefore improve the care people receive”.