Gordon Brown told to prioritise social care

The organisation representing home care providers has written to Gordon Brown urging him to make social care one of his first priorities.

United Kingdom Homecare Association chair Mike Padgham warns in his letter that local authorities who commission care from providers are using their purchasing power to drive down prices and, as a result, workers’ pay.

He says in the letter: ““We add our voice to calls for an increase in social care funding and more equitable distribution of services to people who fall below the ever-tightening local authority eligibility criteria.”

Padgham also calls for an end to the 15-minute rule – where commissioners purchase 15-minute calls to users. “Service users feel the practice is undignified and unsafe, and care workers feel rushed and unable to provide a personalised service,” he explains.

More information

Stop rationing home care services, Unison tells councils

Home care yet more focused on fewer, needier clients, figures from the Information Centre for health and social care show


Essential information on the social care workforce

Essential information on elderly people