Kendall: DHSC decision to halve social care workforce funding a “total betrayal”

Liz Kendall has accused the government of a “total betrayal of older and disabled people” after it was revealed that funding for the social care workforce in England is to be cut in half.

The Department for Health and Social Care announced today that it is launching a call to evidence “on a new care workforce pathway and funding for hundreds of thousands of training places”, plans which the department said will be backed by £250m in funding.

But the government pledged in a white paper on adult social care – published in 2021 – to provide “at least £500m over the next three years to begin to transform the way we support the social care workforce”.

Commenting on today’s announcement, the shadow social care minister said: “This is a total betrayal of older and disabled people and a care system that has been pushed to breaking point.

“13 years of broken promises and failure on reform has left a care system in crisis, the NHS with thousands of people in hospital who don’t need to be there, and now even the sector’s lifeline has been pulled from under their feet.

“Older and disabled people deserve so much better than this. Labour will tackle record vacancies through a new deal for care workers and fundamentally shift the focus of support to prevention and early intervention, so that more people can be cared for in their own home which is where they want to be.”

Other measures set out by the government today include providing £100m to the social care sector to accelerate digitisation and a new innovation and improvement unit “to explore creative solutions for improving care”, such as supporting local authorities to reduce care assessment waiting times, backed up by £35m.

Health minister Helen Whately said: “Care depends completely on the people who do the caring – that’s over a million care staff working in care homes and agencies, and countless relatives, friends and volunteers, acting out of the kindness of their hearts.

“That’s why this package of reforms focuses on recognising care with the status it deserves, while also focusing on the better use of technology, the power of data and digital care records, and extra funding for councils – aiming to make a care system we can be proud of.”

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “The government promised to throw a protective ring around social care. But instead, it is presiding over a perfect storm. We have an ageing population and a social care workforce in crisis.

“Slashing much-needed funding is self-defeating and will cost us dear. If we don’t improve pay and conditions in social care, vacancy rates will continue to skyrocket, and millions of people will go without the care they urgently need.

“That’s why the TUC is calling for unions, employers and government to work together on sector-wide fair pay agreements. This would help set minimum levels of pay, training and health and safety for social care.”

Also commenting on today’s announcement, GMB national care officer Natalie Grayson said: “This is a disgraceful decision, but how could we expect to see anything else from this government. Care workers do a vital job – looking after our most vulnerable – often for pennies above the minimum wage.

“There needs to be proper investment to stop carers leaving the sector in their droves. Not more broken promises. That’s why GMB is campaigning for no less than £15 per hour for these dedicated professionals.”