Almost 75,000 disabled and older people and carers are waiting for help with their care and support as social services struggle to cope with an avalanche of needs arising from the Covid pandemic.
Directors of social services report unprecedented numbers of people waiting for an assessment of their needs, or for agreed care and support arrangements to be put in place. Almost 7,000 people have been waiting more than six months for an assessment.
The figures have emerged in the annual budget survey of local council social services in England by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS). Despite the worsening delays in meeting people’s needs, councils are being forced to plan for savings of £600m in social services spending this year.
The survey has also found that directors are concerned at least equally, or more, about being able to help people of working age who have disabilities or other needs as they are about being able to support older people. Just 3% of directors say they are worried most about older people.
To read the full document – https://www.adass.org.uk/adass-spring-survey-21
