Select Committee · Health and Social Care Committee

Social care: funding and workforce

Status: Closed Opened: 10 Mar 2020 Closed: 26 Oct 2021 20 recommendations 1 conclusion 1 report

The reopened Social care: funding and workforce inquiry seeks to establish how much extra money would need to be spent by government in each of the next five years to counteract the impact of a shortage of care on the NHS. Shortages in the social care workforce and what solutions need to be found to … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - Social care: funding and workforce HC 206 22 Oct 2020 21 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
4 Recommendation Third Report - Social care: funding and… Acknowledged

We believe the starting point must be an increase in annual funding of £3.9 bn...

We believe the starting point must be an increase in annual funding of £3.9 bn by 2023–24 to meet demographic changes and planned increases in the National Living Wage. However such an increase alone will not address shortfalls in the quality of care currently provided, reverse the decline in access … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government references current funding levels and additional COVID-19 funding, stating a commitment to a sustainable social care system and improving quality, but does not commit to the specific £3.9bn funding increase recommended by the committee.
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Department of Health and Social Care
9 Recommendation Third Report - Social care: funding and… Acknowledged

We welcome the Government’s commitment to bringing forward a long-term solution to low pay in...

We welcome the Government’s commitment to bringing forward a long-term solution to low pay in social care. It is essential that this solution provides a sustainable basis for continued rises in pay above and beyond increases to the National Minimum Wage and in line with increases given to NHS staff. … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need for a sustainable social care model and fair pay but highlights that providers set pay and local authorities determine rates. It does not commit to specific pay rises above minimum wage or in line with NHS staff, stating it will …
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Department of Health and Social Care
10 Recommendation Third Report - Social care: funding and… Acknowledged

The Government must use the forthcoming Spending Review to ensure that there is a sustainable...

The Government must use the forthcoming Spending Review to ensure that there is a sustainable funding settlement to provide for competitive pay for social care workers which ensures parity with NHS staff and is reflective of the skilled nature of social care work. Parity could be achieved by linking social … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need for a sustainable social care model and fair pay but highlights that providers set pay and local authorities determine rates. It does not commit to using the Spending Review for a settlement ensuring competitive pay or parity with NHS staff, …
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Department of Health and Social Care
11 Recommendation Third Report - Social care: funding and… Acknowledged

Inadequate employment conditions undermine the sustainability of the social care workforce and have been brought...

Inadequate employment conditions undermine the sustainability of the social care workforce and have been brought into sharp relief by the coronavirus pandemic. As well as addressing issues of pay within the social care sector, we recommend that the Government bring forward proposals to support the improvement of employment conditions in … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the importance of a sustainable social care model and commits to considering all options for improvement but does not offer specific proposals to reduce zero-hours contracts or improve sick pay provision. It notes that pay is primarily set by private providers and …
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Department of Health and Social Care
13 Recommendation Third Report - Social care: funding and… Acknowledged

As part of its long-term proposals for the future of social care, we recommend that...

As part of its long-term proposals for the future of social care, we recommend that the Government work with Skills for Care and the social care sector to bring forward a plan to streamline the training of social care workers in order to improve routes of entry to the profession … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the importance of reforming social care workforce training and recognition, pointing to the appointment of a Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care and the "CARE" brand/badges. However, it does not commit to working with Skills for Care for a specific plan to …
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Department of Health and Social Care

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
8 Sep 2020 James Bullion · Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, Rt Hon Matt Hancock · Department of Health and Social Care, Sarah Pickup · Local Government Association View ↗
14 Jul 2020 Deborah Gray, care user, Kevin Caulfield · Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council, Pamela King, former carer, Sir Andrew Dilnot · Commission on Funding of Care and Support, The Rt Hon. the Lord Forsyth of Drumlean · Economic Affairs Select Committee (HL), Yasuhisa Shiozaki, former Minister for Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan View ↗
23 Jun 2020 Jane Townson · UK Homecare Association, Marlene Kelly · Auburn Mere Care Home, Mel Cairnduff · Agincare, Oonagh Smyth · Skills for Care, Professor Martin Green · Care England, Raina Summerson · Agincare, Sue Ann Balcombe · Priscilla Wakefield House Nursing Home View ↗
9 Jun 2020 Anita Charlesworth · Health Foundation, Anna Severwright, Daphne Havercroft, former carer and attorney for a social care user, George Stoye · Institute for Fiscal Studies, Paul Little · Suffolk County Council & East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust, Professor Tine Rosgaard, Roskilde University, Denmark View ↗

Who gave evidence

22 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Anita Charlesworth · Senior Economic Adviser Health Foundation 1
Anna Severwright 1
Daphne Havercroft, former carer and attorney for a social care user 1
Deborah Gray, care user 1
George Stoye · Associate Director Institute for Fiscal Studies 1
James Bullion · President Association of Directors of Adult Social Services 1
Jane Townson · Chief Executive Officer UK Homecare Association 1
Kevin Caulfield · Disabled person and strategic lead for co-product… Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council 1
Marlene Kelly · Registered Manager Auburn Mere Care Home 1
Mel Cairnduff · Social Care Worker Agincare 1
Oonagh Smyth · Chief Executive Officer Skills for Care 1
Pamela King, former carer 1
Paul Little · Director for Integrated Health and Care Suffolk County Council & East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust 1
Professor Martin Green · Chief Executive Care England 1
Professor Tine Rosgaard, Roskilde University, Denmark 1
Raina Summerson · Chief Executive Agincare 1
Rt Hon Matt Hancock · Secretary of State Department of Health and Social Care 1
Sarah Pickup · Deputy Chief Executive Local Government Association 1
Sir Andrew Dilnot · former Chair Commission on Funding of Care and Support 1
Sue Ann Balcombe · Registered Manager Priscilla Wakefield House Nursing Home 1
The Rt Hon. the Lord Forsyth of Drumlean · Chair Economic Affairs Select Committee (HL) 1
Yasuhisa Shiozaki, former Minister for Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan 1

Correspondence

2 letters
DateDirectionTitle
17 Feb 2021 From cttee Letter to the Minister of State for Care on Social care: funding and workforce
10 Nov 2020 To cttee Letter from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on SignHealth