Council warns of deepening social care crisis

Kent County Council warned that it was facing "significant financial challenges"

A Kent council has said core adult social care services are "stretched to the brink" due to a deepening crisis in the sector.

Kent County Council (KCC) warned on Monday that it was facing "significant financial challenges" amid increasing demand and "insufficient central government support".

The authority is urging the government to "match its ambitions for health and care integration with realistic funding and meaningful reform".

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said a £4bn funding boost to include 15,000 home adaptations and recruitment investment had been promised in its "Plan for Change".

The council said it was being forced to scale back or delay non-statutory but vital preventative services, such as early intervention, day services and supported living, which had been proved to reduce long-term costs.

Diane Morton, KCC's member for adult social care and health, said that although she was "extremely proud of the fantastic work" done by the team under great pressure, she felt "Kent deserves better".

"The current funding model is broken and no longer fit for purpose," she added.

"Early intervention via prevention services should be the foundation of a sustainable care system, not an optional extra cut to save money in the short-term resulting in long term issues escalating."

Kent County Council said the county "deserves better"

The authority added that it was striving to find new efficiencies to tackle the crisis and had developed new operational plans to cut waiting times and that 4,339 people had already been supported in the first year of its Technology Enhancing Lives Service (TELS), which keeps people in their own homes using technology such as sensors, monitor and alarms.

The DHSC said: "This government inherited a social care system facing significant challenges, but we are turning this around through our Plan for Change.

"Baroness Casey is working on an independent commission to build a fair adult social care system that is affordable for all. She will publish her first recommendations next year.