Care directors ‘will hit efficiency goals’

Adult social care directors believe they will hit the government’s 3 per cent efficiency target for councils from 2008-11, despite the current funding crisis in the sector, an exclusive Community Care survey can reveal.

Two-thirds of directors believed they would meet the target, which applies to councils as a whole not individual services, while just one of 30 respondents believed they would not, with the rest doubtful.

The confidence is surprising given widespread evidence of funding pressures in adult care in councils, which has sparked calls for significant investment in the sector in this summer’s comprehensive spending review, which also covers 2008-11.

Directors saw improving commissioning as their main source of future efficiencies, with 78 per cent ranking this in their top three answers, followed by streamlining assessment processes (59 per cent), improving IT (48 per cent) and redesigning administration systems (44 per cent).

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