Chair of Care Association Alliance and Lincolnshire Care Association calls out lack of funding in social care sector

Melanie Weatherley, MBE, chair of Care Association Alliance and Lincolnshire Care Association stands with The Care Provider Alliance who are calling on government officials to allocate more funding towards the social care sector.

In a new letter published by The Care Provider Alliance, the government have been called upon to acknowledge that the Fair Cost of Care funding they have put forward is not sufficient enough to bridge the financial gaps within the care sector.

The Care Provider Alliance released The State of Care and Support Provision report in November 2022, highlighting some of the key issues facing the social care sector, the most notable being workforce recruitment and retention. The report draws attention to the fact that one in ten posts within the care industry are currently vacant due to care providers being unable to increase wages in line with the rising cost of living. This inability to increase wages can most likely be attributed to the estimated funding gap of £7 billion within the sector, as without adequate funding, publicly funded care providers will be unable to keep up with the wages offered by their privately funded counterparts.

Melanie Weatherley, MBE, said: “The funding proposed by the government is disappointing, but we are not surprised. The report compiled by the councils does not give a true picture of the current situation in care and we are calling on the government to invest diligently in social care so we can look after those most vulnerable in our society.

She added: “If we properly fund social care and work to integrate with our partners in the NHS, we can create a better life for all of our service users. In order to do this, we need the right staff, funding, and infrastructure. We will not rest until the government commits to a real change in the sector.”

To view the full letter, click here. To learn more about LinCA, visit www.linca.org.uk.