Kirsty Matthews, CEO, Hft
Last month, Hft launched its sixth annual Sector Pulse Check report looking into the state of the adult social care sector, with an aim to highlight the most compelling challenges facing the sector as a whole. The results were conclusive – the adult social care sector is on the brink of collapse and now is our chance to make a change.
For the first time, this year Hft partnered with Care England for the survey and reached 192 social care organisations across England and Wales. I am really pleased that we were able to reach so many organisations to allow us to better report on our sector, the results of which will help inform our campaigning work moving forward so we can target the most perilous areas and influence meaningful, long-term change to maintain the sustainability of our sector.
The results revealed the underlying fragility of the adult social care sector. Perhaps one of the most pertinent responses reads, “The sector is now actually collapsing. It’s no longer a future threat, we are failing our vulnerable.”
Our findings reflect the starkness of this statement.
They reveal that one third of adult social care providers surveyed considered exiting the market amid financial pressures in 2022 as 82% were either in deficit or experienced a decrease in their surplus. This is the highest figure since 2017 and was even higher for learning disability providers specifically at 84%. It is likely that, without Government intervention, this number will only continue to increase.
We also found that the average vacancy rate in adult social care providers was 21%, with an almost unanimous 95% citing that an increase in staff pay would be the most impactful measure to improve recruitment and retention. This will not be a surprising statistic for those working in social care to read. What has been surprising, however, is the lack of corresponding action and funding from the Government to partner with us to solve this problem.
We also wanted to know what the impact the cost of living crisis and the increase in energy bills had on our sector. In fact, utility bills were the second most cited cost pressure in 2022 (second to workforce pay), revealing the very real impact of spiralling energy costs over the past 12 months.
It is salient that, building on this research, we take urgent steps to act on it to guarantee the future sustainability of care and support across our sector. Therefore, alongside Care England, we are recommending the establishment of a minimum care wage, tied to NHS band 3, that considers not only just the National Living Wage, but also the unique skill of our workforce, and the intrinsic link between the social care sector and the NHS.
We are also calling on the Government to continue its enhanced support for energy costs equivalent to that offered through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, and remove the 5% VAT surcharge currently applied to energy bills until energy prices stabilise closer to 2021 levels. The undeniable, and detrimental, impact of the increase in energy bills over the past year cannot be ignored.
We want to see the whole sector thrive and believe the recommendations in our report illustrate key issues that Government could act upon to provide a longer-term solution to ensure the sustainability of our essential sector. Whether an organisation for learning disabled people or a care provider for the elderly, there is always someone who relies on our care and support and we must not forget that they are at the centre of what we do.
This is exactly why we will use this research to impact meaningful reform, ensuring the sustainability of our sector and providing a more secure future for both social care staff and those who rely on our support.
