Impact of the spending review on UK social care
It’s expected that the Chancellor’s spending cuts will impact on social care in the UK in a big way, according to sources such as the Guardian. Despite the fact that social care requirements are growing in the UK as the population ages and expands, the Tory government is inflicting real cuts in the funding of this sector.
Social care is already experiencing a severe funding crisis. Half a million people, including the elderly and disabled, who would have received social care before the Tories came into power before the last election, are now denied support. 86% of local authorities are now offering care only to those people deemed to have the most critical level of need.
The government has pledged that councils will be permitted to raise an additional £2bn in council tax in order to meet their social care commitments. The majority of the social care budget is borne by local authorities, however, all local councils are stretched by the demands of their existing social care obligations.
In addition to denying desperately needed social care assistance to those who need it, there will be other consequences to the spending review cuts to social care. Existing services are likely to be placed under even further pressure. The lack of funds, combined with the relentless need for social care provision, is going to put additional demands on existing social care workers. Staff will be asked to work longer hours for less pay and there will fewer pay rises. As the cost of living rises, this will lead to lower wages in real terms.
Staff will also be asked to accept lower benefits and staff perks. There’s likely to be pressure on them to put up with controversial practices, such as not paying social care workers for the time spent travelling between clients. This could also mean an effective decline in wages.
Dissatisfaction among staff is likely to result in higher turnover in social care jobs. This will lead to a loss of experience and expertise, and is likely to impact negatively on the quality of care received by clients.
With employment now recovering after the recessionary conditions of the past few years, there will be increased competition for labour. It’s likely that social care jobs may go to workers who aren’t able to meet the essential requirements of the role. This may include workers who aren’t able to meet the essential numeracy and literacy requirements the role requires.
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