UKHCA, the homecare sector’s professional association, has welcomed the government’s commitment to free personal care in the Queen’s Speech. The proposals, if correctly implemented, will recognize people’s general preference for care at home as an alternative to residential care.

However, we need more detail on how the new system will operate and be costed. While Government clearly wants people to receive individualised social care, there must be additional investment at a national and local level for the vision in the Bill to become a reality.

Mike Padgham, UKHCA’s Chair said:

We welcome the Prime Minister’s high-level commitment to homecare and look forward to the detail of how people will be able to access free personal care. Home-based care is an excellent service which keeps many people out of hospital and also enables people to return to their communities quickly following hospital discharge.

82% of publicly funded homecare is delivered by private and voluntary sector homecare providers, under contract to local authorities and the NHS. The dominant purchasing power of commissioners has driven down the price paid to frontline care services. The low level of funding has a particularly acute impact on the recruitment and retention of care staff. The detail behind the proposals in today’s speech will give us a better idea of the expansion required in the sector to meet the potential increase of needs that are not currently met.

Colin Angel, UKHCA’s Head of Policy and Communication continued:

It is crucial that the independent homecare sector is engaged in the detail of the proposals by government, and investment is made in the capacity of the sector to ensure that providers and their workforce can meet new demand. The system introduced will need to prioritise spend on frontline homecare services – delivered largely by the independent sector – rather than the money being consumed by local authority commissioning costs.

http://www.ukhca.co.uk/mediastatement_information.aspx?releaseID=2211