Social work opinion is split on whether the new Labour government will improve the lives of those using social care services.
A Community Care poll with nearly 1,200 votes revealed that 41% of respondents lacked confidence in the new government’s ability to improve the lives of those supported by social workers. Almost a quarter (23%) felt “very unconfident” and 18% “quite unconfident”.
On the other end of the spectrum, almost a third (31%) expressed confidence, with 23% “quite confident” and 8% “very”.
The remaining 28% said they were “neither confident nor unconfident”.
Child protection reforms
The poll results come with the new government having given mixed signals on its approach to social care since taking power.
Labour's first King’s Speech, earlier this month, included three pieces of legislation concerning the sector.
For children’s services, the government announced a bill to strengthen child protection that would also introduce registers of children not being educated in school.
However, the details of the bill are unclear and it's also uncertain whether and how far the government will move forward with the previous administration’s 2023 children's social care reform strategy, Stable Homes, Built on Love.
Adult social care cuts
The King’s Speech also included the long-awaited reform of the Mental Health Act 1983 and a fair pay agreement for adult social care staff, both of which were promised in the Labour manifesto.
However, the party has yet to set out any funding plans for the pay agreement.
At the same time, the government has already made two significant cuts to adult social care funding.
In a statement on Labour's financial inheritance from the Conservatives, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the scrapping of long-planned reforms to the adult social care charging system, including a cap on care costs. The Treasury says this will save £1.1bn by the end of 2025-26.
And then care minister Stephen Kinnock revealed that the government would ditch a fund to resource training for adult social care workers. Both moves have been heavily criticised by sector bodies.
How confident are you that the new government will deliver for people who use social care services?
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