In December 2021, amongst concern about the frailty of the social care market of provision, the Government announced a ‘Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care’ fund. Worth £1.4BN it would require councils to deliver on a key part of the Statutory Guidance to the Care Act. Councils should deliver a ‘ sustainable care market’ through paying providers ‘ a fair cost of care’ . Fee levels must be sufficient to enable providers to resource their front lines appropriately whi

Hegemony is defined as a way of thinking that holds power over people. But it does so through volition. Whatever the idea behind the thinking, it is widely accepted as based on truisms, simple common sense to which all should subscribe.   There is a mindset amongst the professionals employed by councils that matches this definition. They believe that society and its leaders have little interest in, and place no priority on, older and disabled people in need of care and suppor

The Care Quality Commission produces an annual report of the State of Social Care for Parliament. It tells MPs what the Commission believes they need to know. The most recent report has 7 key findings. Three address delayed discharges from hospital, others address workforce issues. But none address what is arguably the most important political issue for MPs to understand:   are councils using the resources at their disposal to best effect? if not, what are the consequences fo

Directors of Adult Social Services are acutely aware that social care can face one of two ways. At its worst it diminishes the people it...