What about those who provide care services or who are responsible for ensuring there care services are available. How do they work with people who are funding their own care? What issues and challenges do they face? We spoke to care workers, care agencies, social workers and local authority care commissioners to hear their perspectives.
Providing care for self-funders: perspectives from private sector and not-for-profit providers
In this briefing we look at perspectives from managers and care workers from the private care agencies and not-for-profit care providers. They told us about the challenges they face in the care market which include:
- Balancing the cost of care against the quality of provision is a constant pressure for providers.
- Many of the challenges are a result of workforce issues, particularly in recruiting the right people in the right place and in training, developing and retaining the workforce.
- The lack of suitable care services is a postcode lottery whether you are a self-funded or state funded older person needing care.
Minding our business: the significance of self-funders for social work
Fewer people are receiving help with care from local authorities because of cuts in public funding and tight eligibility criteria. But councils do have a number of responsibilities towards self-funders under the Care Act (2014), including: the provision of tailored advice and information; the offer of an assessment for anyone with an appearance of need and regardless of their financial status; shaping the market in order to develop care and support provision which meets the needs of the whole community and a method to record unmet need. This briefing looks at how and what help self-funders are getting from local authorities.
Independent paid care: boon or risk?
Some older people used ‘independent carers’, who are paid carers that work alone in small groups rather than for traditional care providers (such as, home care agencies). They are not subject to inspection or registration of their services and are self-employed. In this briefing we highlight the advantages as well as the challenges and risks that older people and independent carers told us about.
Care ... What do you need to know? 