The Care Quality Commission (CQC) launched their State of Care 2021 report today, which found huge challenges facing the sector which is facing a rapidly growing staffing crisis, due to better pay and conditions in retail and hospitality and unable to plug the gaps of the vacancies left.
Responding to the findings, RCOT Chief Executive Steve Ford comments:
“The findings of this report provide us with a deeply concerning insight into the impact the pandemic has had across Social Care, which was already grappling with tens of thousands of vacancies and poor pay and working conditions prior to COVID-19.
Patient care is being impacted due to unprecedented pressure with many care homes being forced to close as they cannot recruit or retain staff. Occupational therapists deal with well over 40% of local authority social care referrals across the UK and are seeing the impact of a depleted and exhausted workforce that has little optimism for the winter pressures ahead.
The announcement this week of £162.5m by the government to boost the adult social care workforce is welcome, but another sticking plaster of support with a lack of long-term thinking is again impacting the future of care.
The government must listen and produce a social care workforce plan to protect and invest in the future, so that care staff have parity of esteem in pay and conditions with their NHS colleagues.”