ADASS social care budget survey – as much hope as gloom?

Last week ADASS published their annual adult social care budget survey. As usual it is a fantastic resource for those working to transform adult social care departments. It provides lots of statistics to help validate what we are seeing up and down the country, and a few surprises too.

It, of course, reinforces many of the reasons to be concerned about the future of adult social care. However, as I picked my top ten favourite stats this year, the biggest shock was that – amazingly – as many pointed to hope as to gloom.

The gloom:

• £941m savings are planned this year, a 7% reduction in last years’ outturn
• Only 31% of Directors are fully confident of this years’ savings, (compared to 45% last year) and dropping to 3% confident of 17/18 savings
• Whilst older people’s services have survived demographic pressures by providing service to 0.1% less people, the number of younger adults needing support increased 5% last year
• Despite shrinking budgets, almost half of Councils have been forced to raise provider fees by more than 3%
• In 59 councils at least one homecare provider and in 32 councils at least one residential/nursing care provider has cancelled their contract in the last 6 months

The glimmers of hope:

• All but eight councils were able to convince politicians/the public to invest in social care by implementing the social care precept
• The net adult social care budget for 16/17 is 98.7% of the outturn for 15/16
• 87% of Directors were content with their share of the Better Care Fund
• 14% report care and support has improved in their area in the last 12 months, compared to only 12% where it has got worse

And finally, 100% of Councils responded to the survey for the first time ever. A good sign that the sector realises how important it is to share this insight.