Emma Lewell MP: Government accelerates its three-year review into social care
It was just over two weeks ago that Andy Burnham became our new Prime Minister. In those two weeks, the Government has made, unusually for the summer Recess, a flurry of announcements; a VAT cut on electricity bills, a Business Rates cut for pubs, capped bus fares at £2, set a new focus on skills and building a National Care Service to address our deeply flawed and inequitable adult social care services.
Every Government, for as long as I can remember, has sidelined adult social care into reviews, commissions, and consultations – only to then do nothing substantial with the findings.
This Government has now accelerated their current three-year review to end next year, not the year after. I am hopeful that its conclusions will confirm what most of us with experience of the sector already know – that uncontrolled privatisation has transformed care from a ‘people’ service into a profitable financial enterprise, reducing those involved to entries on a spreadsheet.
This highly privatised system prioritises profit margins over quality care, treats those who work in it badly, with poor pay and conditions, puts a strain on the NHS and local councils and leaves families tearing their hair out at some of the most difficult times of their lives just to make sure the people they love are cared for properly. If their loved one passes away and was receiving care, at the very height of their grief they are then presented with huge care bills that they didn’t know needed to be paid.
This market-based approach has led to a new development, where experts – for a fee – are advising retirees to put their assets in a trust to avoid the state or care providers taking their hard-earned money or their property should they ever need care.
It has led to a situation where social workers spend ridiculous amounts of time completing financial assessments and where councils and the NHS spend time arguing over who is responsible for paying care costs.
Individuals, families and care workers are all secondary to the balance sheets. I hope this Government’s review puts them right at the centre – exactly where they belong.