GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION PAPER: ‘SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CARE TOGETHER’

LATUC SUBMISSION

The Lancashire Association of Trade Union Councils (LATUC) is part of the national Trades Union Congress (TUC).

We support the concept of a National Care Service which is universal, free at the point-of-need, and funded through general taxation. We do not accept the arguments behind the Government’s rejection of this approach. The Government states that a system funded through general taxation is unacceptable because ‘...it places a heavy burden on people of working age.’ The same argument could be applied to most major areas of public spending. Decisions on taxation and public spending are a matter of political will. Social care, like health care, is an issue that affects us all. A National Care Service should be publicly funded in the same way as the National Health Service.

The points below are taken from the National Pensioners’ Convention’s proposals for an alternative National Care Service for Older People. We believe they provide a framework for a decent care and support system for adults.

Prevention services: Care support and advocacy should be available to enable individuals and their carer to stay independent, well and socially included for as long as possible in their own homes, including sheltered housing.

Those living in their own homes, or prior to returning home from hospital or residential care, should receive the necessary preventative and care services and support appropriate to their needs. This should include home adaptations and equipment, as well as domiciliary care, support and leisure services that would help individuals and their family carers to manage in their own homes.

National assessment: There should be nationally determined assessment criteria which will be used throughout England to assess care needs.

Individuals should have the right to have their needs (critical, substantial, moderate and low) assessed and receive the appropriate care from a universal menu of services. At the same time, family carers’ needs should also be assessed. The postcode lottery in the quality, availability and cost of services should cease under a tax-funded National Care Service.

A joined-up service: Individuals and their family carers should be entitled to receive a variety of care services from a range of regulated providers, which should be of the highest standard.

There should no longer be a divide between health and social care provision and the process of accessing care should be transparent and easily understood. All services should operate to nationally agreed standards which should be properly regulated and enforced. These should include issues of staffing, pay and training requirements.

Information and advice: Individuals and their carers should be able to easily access straightforward information and advice about their entitlements to services at every stage of their care, and advocacy when required.

Whether in the community, care home or hospital, individuals should be entitled to receive information which clearly explains their entitlements to care, how to access services available, and their rights as a service user. Recognition should also be given to those who need assistance from a third party/advocate/friend to help them exercise their entitlements.

Personalised care and support: There should be a range of care and support services made available that can be tailored to individual personal circumstances and needs.

Care and support should be designed and delivered around an individual’s needs through a regulated provider, whilst the responsibility for managing budgets should lie with the local authority or NHS. Additional financial and practical support should also be available to family carers.

Fair funding: Society should share the cost of providing care for those in need.

A tax-funded universal National Care Service should entitle individuals to free, non-means-tested care, support and accommodation appropriate to their needs.