The Government’s decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) has caused legitimate concern amongst care providers and the £600 million announced by the Government to support Local Authorities to provide Adult Social Care services will not offset the costs of this increase.
Though still a mighty challenge, larger organisations like ours are perhaps better equipped to weather the storm of these additional costs. However, many smaller providers – without robust financial resources or infrastructure – are in a far more vulnerable position. Over 70% of provider costs go towards staffing and, with Living Wage increases also coming in April, care providers will feel increasingly squeezed, leaving many unable to continue to provide their vital services.
In such a landscape, a trustworthy regulator is more crucial than ever to ensure that corners are not cut, and people’s care outcomes are not jeopardised as providers seek to accommodate the additional costs.
But unfortunately, only 42% of the public trust the Care Quality Commission (CQC), according to a recent national survey. The poll asked over 2,000 people (carried out by Savanta and commissioned by PLMR) if they had confidence in the CQC and their ratings. Clearly the results are concerning.
Trust isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ in our sector, it’s the foundation of safe, compassionate care, and the basis on which people and commissioners choose care services.
Recognising excellence in care, especially during financially challenging times, is crucial for morale and for setting benchmarks. This isn’t just about lowering compliance standards but encouraging innovation and improvement in a sector that desperately needs it. If the CQC can be more than an enforcer, it will be better positioned to help social care evolve with the challenges ahead.
Dr. Penny Dash’s recent report highlighted major gaps in how the CQC fulfils its dual roles of accountability and advocacy – gaps that become especially clear when providers face heightened financial strain.
Care providers must be able to evidence their great care, or face necessary improvements, despite these gaps.
At Bluebird Care, we’ve reinvented our brand to demonstrate our quality and establish that trusted voice that people are clearly missing in so many communities. We’re taking steps to future-proof our 220 franchises by investing in specialist Care Professional training and enhanced quality control measures. We’ve even created an internal quality framework based on CQC standards, adding reassurance and structure for our teams and customers.
However, these efforts alone can’t compensate for broader, structural changes that the sector needs.
The sector regulator should be leading the charge in supporting providers through challenges such as increased workforce costs, with clear advocacy, best practice resources, and a more flexible, future-focused approach.
Building public trust in the sector and its regulator is synonymous with making great quality care more accessible to all. And that public trust, and the sense of urgency that comes with it, is essential to shifting the conversation away from emergency sticking plaster solutions and towards innovative, meaningful progress. Only this approach can help us to weather future storms and cost increases.
My call to the CQC and to policymakers is simple: work with us to make this a sector that’s sustainable, resilient, and respected. We welcome the CQC’s commitment to working with the sector on a plan for change and look forward to contributing to creating a regulator that listens, learns, and advocates for us at all levels – one that’s as invested in shaping the future of social care as we are.
@BluebirdCare
bluebirdcare.co.uk
