Care staff call for reform and investment

Jean Mathison and her daughter Tracy said they felt lucky to have secured council funding for a care home place

Workers at a Cornish residential care home have joined calls for urgent investment and reform in the adult social care system.

During the general election campaign an open letter was sent to politicians signed by 24,000 people and more than 50 organisations, warning it would be a betrayal of the public if a new government ignored social care.

The government said ministers were considering advice on how to rebuild adult social care.

A former manager, now the cook at Appleby Lodge care home near Callington, said there needed to be more funding as costs increased, and demand grew, but accepted "the money has to come from somewhere."

'Need investment'

Jan Rider started as a night carer, working up to be the manager for 15 years and now cooks for 18 residents and 23 staff.

"Staff has always been a problem, we have to do a lot of training to be able to run the home and care for the residents, and the pay doesn't reflect that. But obviously homes are restricted because of the money they've got coming in.

"Social care needs a lot of investment into it, not everybody can afford to pay privately and because of the cost of living everything in homes has gone up.

"The utility bills are up and I have noticed a vast difference in our grocery bills, " she said.

On Wednesday the King's speech promised to introduce a fair pay agreement for care workers as part of an Employment Rights Bill which would ban exploitative zero-hours contracts and strengthen sick pay rights.

Cook Jan Rider has worked in various roles at Appleby Lodge over the last 36 years

Head housekeeper Tracy Davey said securing council funding for a place at Appleby Lodge for her mum, 90-year-old Jean Mathison, had felt like "a battle".

Her mum's hip shattered four months ago and she could not be at home in Launceston anymore.

"I didn't realise until I went down that route how difficult it was. Adult social care is broken, there's not enough money - it's just sad," Ms Davey said.

The cost of £1,091 a week is funded by Cornwall Council, but currently in England anyone with savings and assets of more than £23,250 has to pay for all of their care.

The value of their family home is counted if they move into a residential home.

"If you've got a house that you can sell I suppose it is fine but I've not had that privilege, I was in a council flat.

"I think there are thousands of us that need care and can't afford to pay," Ms Mathison said.

Appleby Lodge residents are a mixture of privately and council funded, and most staff are paid above the national living wage.

Ms Davey's wage is £12.10 an hour but she said the sector as a whole needed more recognition.

"The carers definitely aren't coming forward and it's such a rewarding job, it's just not paid well enough," she said.

'No detail'

Labour has pledged to improve pay and conditions and set up a National Care Service within 10 years.

But think tanks such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies has questioned where the money is coming from, saying Labour's manifesto commits to major reforms, but "provides next to no detail on how or when these would be implemented."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We know that people are suffering without the care they need, and we are committed to ensuring everyone lives an independent, dignified life.

“We are going to grip the social care crisis, starting with the workforce by delivering a new deal for care workers.

“We will also take steps to create a National Care Service underpinned by national standards, delivering consistency of care across the country.”