BASW England responds to workforce funding cut announcement
According to the Department of Health and Social Care, plans for a “new care workforce pathway” will receive £250million in funding. This falls well short of the £500million Ministers outlined in their white paper- People at the Heart of Care: Adult Social Care Reform- was needed to properly support the social care workforce.
Responding to today’s disappointing announcement, BASW England commented:
Today’s announcement that funding for the social care workforce will be half of what was promised shows a failure by Government to grasp the workforce crisis in adult social care and the challenges for adult citizens and carers getting access to social work support and care .
In 2021, the Government set out plans for £500 million of funding for the adult social care workforce, which has now been halved to just £250 million.
Despite the Social Care Minister’s claim that this package “focuses on recognising care with the status it deserves”, the reality is that the Government is failing in its responsibility to invest what is needed to deliver a care service that can meet the needs of every person that may have to access adult care services.
Worrying, previously outlined funding of £300 million for new housing models has disappeared entirely whilst the £25 million of support for unpaid carers is also omitted from today’s announcement.
BASW England are clear: Government must deliver the long-term funding that is so desperately needed for adult social care and its dedicated workforce. Failing to do this betrays everything that was promised.
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