Category: Community Care- Adults
The government unlawfully failed to consider the spread of Covid-19 from people without symptoms admitted to care homes in policies issued in the early stages of the pandemic. That was the verdict of the High Court last week as it upheld part of a judicial review claim brought by the daughters of two men who […]
A government change reducing the cap on care costs’ benefit to less wealthy people has become law, following a parliamentary battle. Opposition peers failed to prevent the change in a vote last night in the House of Lords. As a result, the Care Act has been amended so that only client contributions – rather than […]
The UK government must fully fund the introduction of a £10.50-an-hour minimum wage for adult social care care workers in England, its migration advisers have urged. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said a lack of underfunding – leading to inadequate pay and conditions – was behind the significant recruitment and retention difficulties the sector faced. […]
Social workers are “pivotal” to the success of direct payments but need improved training to build their skills and confidence. That was one of the key messages from a report from Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) designed to help councils boost the number of direct payments and the experience people have of using them, in […]
People who take Ukrainian refugees into their homes should not have the money they receive for doing so counted for the purposes of care charges, the government has said. In guidance issued yesterday, the Department of Health and Social Care said councils should disregard the £350 a month paid to sponsors under the Homes for […]
Just 3% of the expected number of people have accessed a scheme to help people in mental health crisis manage their debts. The government had forecast that 27,500 people would access the mental health breathing space programme in 2021-22. The scheme gives people a moratorium on certain debts for the duration of their treatment plus […]
A man who was unlawfully deprived of his liberty in a care home has won a £355,000 payout from the council that placed him there. Lawyers for the man, who is autistic and has learning disabilities, said Lancashire council admitted breaching his human rights and had agreed a £200,000 settlement and a payment of £155,000 […]
The staff vacancy rate across adult social care services in England hit 10% last month, show figures released today. The rate rose from 9.8% in February, and continues the ongoing rise in staffing gaps since May 2021, when 5.9% of posts were vacant, according to Skills for Care’s adult social care workforce data set. At […]
The House of Lords has rejected – for a second time – a government change to the cap on care costs that would reduce its benefit to less wealthy people. Peers also introduced provisions to bring in free care for disabled people aged under 40 in a vote on the Health and Care Bill yesterday. […]
Social care leaders have voiced concerns over the ending of Covid-19 funding for the sector. Funding to help care providers fund infection control and Covid testing, and for the NHS to fund free care for up to four weeks for people discharged from hospital with support needs, ended on 31 March, as did winter resources […]