South Devon care providers protest in Westminster

Social care protesters from South Devon joined a demonstration  in Westminster last week to urge the government to support what they describe as an “undervalued and underfunded” system.

Paignton-based personal care service Bay Care and Southern Healthcare, which operates care homes in Dawlish, Exeter, Seaton and Plymouth, joined other care providers and some care recipients for the Providers Unite Picnic — a day of action to raise awareness of the challenges facing the sector and demand urgent funding support.

South Devon Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden attended the event, calling on the government to exempt care providers from the national insurance rise scheduled for April 1 and to complete their social care review within a year instead of the planned three years.

Above: South Devon MP Caroline Voaden listens as campaigners make their voices heard

According to a Lib Dem press release, the national insurance increase will significantly impact providers in South Devon. Rowcroft Hospice, for example, will need to raise an additional £225,000 annually to cover the costs of the  rise.

The party's research also claims that social care expenses can consume up to 80 per cent of council budgets, forcing many to cut other services. They say that councils now pay £53,352 annually in nursing costs per pensioner, an 82 per cent increase from £29,276 in 2015 and 2016.

A Local Government Association report found that investing in early preventative support in social care could save £3.17 for every £1 spent, with potential savings to the public purse reaching £11.1 billion if scaled up nationally.

Ms Voaden said: “When Labour came to power, I’m sure many care providers were breathing a sigh of relief after so many years under the Conservatives. But the new government’s response to this crisis has been shocking.

“They have put even more pressure on care providers through their self-defeating national insurance rise and have kicked the can down the road on reforms. 

“This must be a wake-up call for ministers. As we have seen today, the sector, people in need of care, and council budgets simply cannot wait any longer. The government needs to scrap its misguided jobs tax for care providers and complete their social care review within the year. Only then will we see the care in South Devon available when people need it.”

Above: Making their voices heard at the Providers Unite Picnic demonstration in London are, left to right: MPs Helen Morgan, Dr Danny Chambers, Jess Brown Fuller, Ian Roome, Caroline Voaden, Claire Young, Adam Dance and Zoe Franklin

A spokesperson for Bay Care said: “We stand at a critical crossroads for social care within our communities. The Providers Unite Picnic is more than just a date on the calendar; it is a call to action, a moment to recognise, affirm and value the essential role of social care in our society. Millions of individuals, carers, service users, families and communities depend on a system that has long been undervalued and underfunded. This must change to ensure that we have a system that is fit for the future.”

Bay Care believes that governments have ignored social care since the late 1980s, providing inadequate investment to meet safety and quality of life needs. They argue that care providers are treated as second-class workers despite offering vital support to some of the most vulnerable people in the community.

Through their #ValueSocialCare campaign, they are calling for the government to engage in meaningful discussions about the impact of the October 2024 budget, alongside urgent reforms to ensure fair pay, better working conditions, and sustainable investment in care services.

The spokesperson added: “It's time for real change. We cannot let vulnerable people be left without support. It’s time for real commitment to value social care. Invest in community care now to protect lives and futures. 

Above: Left to right: Katrina Hall, Bay Care Director, Victoria Buyer, Nicky Kaur-Nagi

“We urge the public to stand with us and demand meaningful change. The future of our care system and the well-being of millions depend on it.”

In January, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed an £86 million boost to the Disabled Facilities Grant for this financial year — on top of the £86 million announced for next financial year at the Budget, taking the annual total to £711 million — to allow 7,800 more disabled and elderly people to make vital improvements to their home, allowing them to live more independent lives and reducing hospitalisations. 

The government said its action to support adult social care also included harnessing the power of care technology to transform care and support older people to live at home for longer, cutting red tape to ensure billions of joint NHS and social care funding is keeping people healthy and taking pressure off the NHS, as well as improved career pathways for care workers and new national standards to ensure providers and families use the best care technology.