This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Government announces £600 million for winter social care boost
The government has announced a £600 million package for help with recruitment and retention in social care.
The fund is intended to support the social care workforce and boost capacity in social care and support the NHS throughout winter and into 2024.
The care minister will also be writing to local authorities about preparations for winter. NHS England has already written to NHS organisations encouraging contingency planning to prepare for winter demands on the health service.
Local health and care systems are being encouraged to jointly prepare for winter earlier this year and increase resilience and preparedness for seasonal viruses including flu and covid.
The £600 million funding for adult social care will include a £570 million workforce fund over two years, distributed to local authorities and £30 million for local authorities in the most challenged health systems.
Minister for Care, Helen Whately said: "Hundreds of thousands of older people, disabled people and their carers depend day in, day out on our social care workforce. Care workers deserve a brighter spotlight to recognise and support what they do. That’s why we’re reforming social care careers and backing our brilliant care workforce with millions in extra funding.
"Our workforce reforms will help more people pursue rewarding careers in social care with nationally recognised qualifications. Our investment in social care means more funding to go to the front line. This matters, because support for our care workforce is the key to more care and better care.
"A stronger social care system, hand in hand with our NHS, will help people get the care they need, when and where they need it."
Cllr Martin Tett, County Councils Network Spokesperson for Adult Social Care said: "The County Councils Network (CCN) very much welcomes this timely announcement by the government. The network called for this remaining funding to be provided directly to councils as soon as possible to help tackle additional inflationary costs and demand pressures which are impacting social care services this year and next.
"With funding split over two years this will help councils mitigate some of the financial and workforce pressures over the next 18 months. It is also positive that the funding will be distributed through the existing Market Sustainability & Improvement Fund without further administrative burdens."
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