Social care charging reform cancellation
The government announced on Monday 29th July that they are not proceeding with the adult social care charging reforms, which the previous government committed to being introduced in October 2025.
The sector remains stretched and struggling with workforce numbers – leaving many without the support from care services that they need.
Whilst we are disappointed that the benefits of this care reform will not be realised – it does relieve pressure in the absence of allocated funding and provide time for councils to consider ways to address other areas of significant challenges that adult social care is currently facing. It is vital that the momentum for change is not lost – a cut to the reforms presents a period of breathing space to consider where else progress can be made.
Empowering individuals to self-serve where possible
With an all time high of people needing adult social care mixed with significant workforce shortages, providing the means for individuals to self-serve will enable a more efficient process, benefiting both staff and residents.
Digital transformation
There is already a radically reshaped role of technology in adult social care. Digital transformation can dramatically improve the quality and safety of care.
Waiting times
There remains a great deal of people waiting for care and support. By providing self-service digital platforms, local authorities can begin to address the issue of waiting times – the latest ADASS 2024 Spring survey shows that over 400,000 people are waiting for an assessment or review of their needs. It is important to consider the human stories behind this high number – the fact that so many are waiting indicates that a huge number of people have unmet or under-met needs. This may also result in them having to rely upon family members or friends as unpaid carers to meet their needs in the interim.
Whilst you are no longer going to have an influx of self funders presenting at your door to ensure their spend is being tracked towards the cap – the reality is that local authorities still have significant numbers of people presenting for care and support assessments. Local authorities should consider digital platforms to alleviate the pressure on staff, and to ensure that residents’ needs are being met in a timely manner.
BetterCare Finance is a fully managed solution enabling councils to offer an end-to-end digital form for financial assessment for care, uniquely bespoke to ensure 100% alignment with local charging policy and rulebases. Unlike other solutions in this field (which are at best only ready reckoners), BetterCare Finance is completely tailored to your organisation to reflect local processes and needs, even incorporating localised calculations such as Disability Related Expenses (DREs) and disregards.
BetterCare Support is a digital-led care & support assessment platform. The animation-led, self-serve platform is used to assess multi-tiered care and support eligibility, across the 10 areas of the Care Act. BetterCare Support uses 40+ relatable animations to coax best answers, reducing the reliance on home visits and unnecessary contact from those who do not meet the eligible criteria.
