On the back of the clear warning from the LGA that many councils are considering raising their eligibility levels to critical only how likely do people think this is? This has impacts for thousands of vulnerable people. For the sector the implications potentially mean going against the grain of professional values and denying someone in clear need of service and help. What do people think of this?
Scary. Very scary - but equally I can see it happening. Adult services is really going to take the brunt of cuts. It makes a mockery of what we do...already our workload is increased due to a lack of early intervention. I'm sure we've all seen clients who may have avoided or delayed residential care had they had some support earlier.
I'm fortunate enough to work in a local authority that still provides for 'moderate' needs. I cannot imagine a move to 'critical' needs only except by a shifting of the ways in which the FACS criteria are interpreted. Lots of things that might previously have been banded as 'substantial' would be 'rebranded' as critical by care managers - at least I can foresee that :)
It depends how strict the interpretations of what 'immediately life-threatening' is.
It shows though that the government has no conception of the way that adult social services operate and while they rattle on about the importance of preventative work, it will all be for nought if the criteria are tightened and makes a mockery of the personalisation agenda - for older adults anyway - where is the choice going to be when you literally only have the bare minimum of highest needs being met. None of those - oh, look, see how Individual budgets pay for a football season ticket for entertainment instead of a day centre' type happy stories we see in the bumpf - because all that will be provided will be the equivalent of 30 mins 'personal care'.
How can care workers take pride in the level of care they give to individuals if they are only being funded to provide care in 30 mins chunks..
Better stop now before I get too annoyed about it.
I agree. The substantial cases would soon become critical anyway if they didn't get the services. That is one of the many stupid things about it.
This is a problem with the current "slash and burn" approach to cuts: no attention is being paid to the long term. There is a serious danger that we are simply increasing future problems by making "savings" now.
My Local Authority has already implemented this. It's a nightmare!