The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) continues to make clear that we are now in the midst of a national crisis for adult social care.
The sector already faced a dire situation before the pandemic with 100,000 vacancies and staff leaving for better paid jobs in shops and bars. This has only been compounded by increasing numbers of staff off sick or isolating due to Omicron meaning every director has had to take incredibly difficult decisions to determine who gets care and support, who gets less care and who misses out. These are decisions that no-one wants to take.
A new survey by ADASS, based on responses from 94 of the 152 English councils responsible for social services, has found that 49 are taking at least one exceptional measure to prioritise care and assess risk. This includes prioritising life sustaining care such as supporting someone to eat over supporting someone to get out of bed or complete other activities.
ADASS comment, “The root of the current situation lies in the failure to both sustainably fund adult social care over the last decade and to properly recognise and reward the committed, courageous and compassionate people working in social care.”