Response to CSCI's State of Social Care Report

Inconsistent approaches by local authorities are placing a damaging burden on social care providers, Anchor Trust’s Jane Ashcroft said today (12 January 2007).

Jane Ashcroft, Managing Director of Care Services at Anchor Trust, was commenting in response to the Commission for Social Care Inspection’s State of Social Care report, published on Wednesday.

The report, welcomed by Anchor Trust, provides a useful overview of the social care sector. It acknowledges that care services are improving and raises a number of valid concerns about the sector. 

She said: “We agree with a number of concerns raised in the report.  As a national provider of services across residential, domiciliary and extra care, we recognise the impact of Local Authorities’ inconsistent approaches to eligibility, funding and commissioning. 

“A mature debate is required about funding for older people’s services, particularly in light of the increasing numbers of people who will need the services.

“The Government is pushing to improve quality, choice and flexibility of care services, while purse-strings are getting tighter, individuals’ expectations are rising and there is an increasing blurring of state and individual responsibilities.” 

“We are concerned about the reductions in Supporting People funding. The inconsistency of the programme and the corresponding administrative burden is reducing the impact of the funds for people receiving services.”

“The future funding of care services is a complex area, as illustrated by the Wanless Report. However I believe that the CSCI report provides the basis for a debate which is essential if we want to achieve high-quality care services for people of all ages, now and in the future.”

Ends

Presss release issued: January 12 2007