Welcome to October’s edition of the CordisPulse – a monthly digest of key research and policy developments across the sectors in which Cordis Bright provides research and consultancy services, i.e., adult social care and health, children and young people's services, and criminal justice.
This month we were interested in The Health Foundation report on adult social care funding pressures. The Health Foundation, like other commentators including The National Audit Office and the House of Commons library, note that local authorities have seen a significant reduction in their spending power (around 29% since 2010/11) and that adult social care in particular needs additional resources if it is to meet the current and projected needs of an aging population. The Health Foundation suggest a shortfall of some £5.4bn short-term rising to £14.6bn by 2032/33.
No organisation, including the central government, claims that adult social care is fully and adequately funded. The current government would argue they have increased central government funding by £2.8bn in 2023/24 and a further £4.7bn in 2024/25. This is true, but this additional funding has to be seen against the context of exceptionally high inflation and a 9.7% increase in the National Living Wage for people aged 23 plus. The Health Foundation are right to say that from the end of March 2025 it is unclear what happens but is also very unclear that the Conservative party will still be in government at this point in time. What is interesting is that although there is near universal agreement that adult social care is underfunded, and underfunded at a level which has a direct and detrimental impact on vulnerable people, no one with the power or potential power to do anything about it is willing to name a figure. Even the Labour Party who are likely to be the next party of government are reluctant to put a price tag on what it would take to put adult social care on the right track.
To read more about this and review other recent publications, download the Pulse below.