Kooth Digital Health’s Post

It’s disappointing to see no mention of adult social care in the government 2024 budget. When it comes to supporting our NHS, the impact of social care on patient outcomes, as well as its preventative efforts, should not be underestimated. For health and social care to work hand in hand effectively, the social care sector must be recognised for its vital contributions to the health and well-being of our nation. At the same time, it is equally important to consider the sector as its own, standalone system: from relieving strain on healthcare services, over offering employment opportunities, to initiatives for reducing loneliness and isolation in our communities, social care deserves its own place in the discussion around financing public services, instead of being passed over. #socialcare #homecare #liveincare

The Treasurer's Measuring What Matters Framework sets out five themes each with a set of metrics designed to gauge how well we are doing as a society beyond the traditional but nonetheless important measures like GDP. This appraisal by Chelsea Hunnisett and Alexandra Jones highlights some of its many possible merits, in this case a way to hold government to account for pursuing measures that address the five themes. As I wrote in Croakey Health Media in October 2022, measuring wellbeing is not the soft underbelly of public policy. It is time to get beyond the numbers: https://lnkd.in/g_jinMfS A wellbeing framework and budget has the potential to improve policy making, priority setting, program targeting and accountability - and its a concept that the public embraces. #wellbeingeconomy #betterpublicpolicy #accountability

We are all aware of the state of the nation’s finances, but wholesale cuts to public services are not going to solve the problem. Public spending isn’t the issue per se; what we’re spending our money on is. With the new government’s Spending Review on the horizon, a new report from LSE cautions against cutting spending on some public services, arguing that investment in mental health and wellbeing, for example, will deliver many-times more value to the economy than infrastructure projects, like road building. Among people of working age, a half of all illness is mental. It accounts for one half of all people on disability benefits and one half of absenteeism. Titled Value for Money, the report argues that funding to support people with moderate mental health issues in work – which is fundamentally a net-neutral cost, as the initiative would pay for itself within five years – will offer a substantial boost to the economy, in greater productivity. In light of Lord Darzi’s report on the state of the NHS, released today, we are encouraged by Sir Kier Starmer’s pre-election position, when stating: “With every pound spent on your behalf we would expect the Treasury to weigh not just its effect on national income but also its effect on well-being”. To us, the two go hand-in-hand. The NHS has an important role to play in not just getting people back to work, but also helping people stay in work – as do we, as socially responsible employers (see our previous post). We look forward to playing our part in "the biggest reimagining of the NHS" since it was formed. https://lnkd.in/eTqPqDv4 #publicspending #wellbeing #NHS

The recent budget announcement has sparked serious reflection on where our Government’s priorities lie in funding health and care. The NHS, an institution we all rely on, has just received an additional £21 billion (over 10% of its current budget) to keep it running. Yet, social care, which includes vital services from organisations like mine, has been completely overlooked.    My recent experience with the NHS was personal. I broke my neck and back in three places and have spent the past few weeks in the system both as an inpatient and outpatient. I’m deeply grateful for the care I received, but let me tell you very clearly : money alone won’t fix the NHS. It’s like pouring water into a bucket with a hole in it. The inefficiency, low productivity, inertia and lack of accountability mean an outdated system that finds it impossible to respond to needs on the ground. Real change requires more than just funding; it needs total overhaul. Complete reform. And frankly, these words come nowhere near describing the scale of what’s needed.   In adult specialist social care, our situation is different. We don’t need an overhaul, we need fair support. As well as increases to the living wage - the increases to NI and changes to NI thresholds will hit our sector hard. The NI changes alone will add 4% to the costs of employing each worker, and that’s before increases to living wage are even included. There’s no backing from the Government to help meet these new expenses. Unlike the NHS and other public sector employers, we will receive no rebates to help cover these additional costs.   Having been on both sides, I see clearly that it’s not just the amount of money, but how it’s used. The NHS has the funds, but they’re often wasted in a system that’s no longer fit for purpose, and where frontline staff have limited control. Meanwhile, social care is left struggling to cover even the basics, facing mounting costs with no similar help.   At ivolve, we are unwavering in our commitment to delivering the high quality care the people we support and their families deserve. But we need a Government that recognises social care as important. This budget could have redressed the imbalance, supporting providers like us to meet rising costs and deliver critical care. Instead, it’s another missed opportunity.

Yesterday’s Budget was delivered against a backdrop of inflation, demographic change, rising workforce costs, increasing demand for care, and tightening local authority budgets. Whilst the NHS was afforded significant investment, in excess of £25 billion, the social care sector is only due to receive £600 million of new grant funding. Comprehensive and sustainable investment in social care will not only support the NHS but is crucial to achieving long-term improvements in public services, economic growth, and fiscal sustainability. Read our full response, authored by our Chief Executive, Kathryn Smith, here: https://lnkd.in/eNZ_JsKG #SocialCare #SocialCareReform #Budget #SocialCareBudget

The NSW Labor Government will introduce a new Performance and Wellbeing Framework as part of its budget papers to improve transparency and accountability along with driving positive social outcomes. Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos announced the new framework in a speech to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia in Sydney. It will replace the previous Liberal-National Government’s Outcomes Statement. The Performance and Wellbeing Framework will: Provide improved ‘line of sight’ for monitoring performance by more explicitly linking the government’s objectives with the results and impact achieved. Reflect the government’s priorities, emphasising state responsibility across key service delivery areas such as health, education, transport and housing. Embed wellbeing considerations in advice to government, supporting improvements in resources allocation, decision making, and public accountability. Work alongside the Commonwealth's ‘Measuring What Matters’ statement, along with similar tools used in other states and territories, and in similar jurisdictions around the world.

Budget 2024: Where was Social Care?   So this much anticipated budget has finally come and gone. There were no major surprises – most of it had been leaked over the last few weeks anyway, probably the new governments way of testing the water and not doing a Liz Truss – but there are major concerns. Firstly, where was social care?  Some impressive headline figures to support the NHS (unsurprisingly) but the only mention we could see of social care was an extra £1.3bn for local authorities, including £600m for social care.    To put that into perspective, that’s a similar amount to some of the Covid grants the sector received, which let’s face it, although useful, didn’t scratch the surface of what was needed. Far more worrying are the increases in Employers National Insurance Contributions and the above inflation rise in the minimum wage.  We know many of our members are stretched financially and no one has budgeted for this. We’re very concerned that this might be too much for many to absorb. So, what next?   Thankfully the increases don’t come in until 1 April next year which gives us time to start having conversations with our commissioning bodies, but unless they also receive an increase in their funding settlement (nothing on that yet) I feel troubled times are ahead.

🗣Thoughts from our CEO, Keiron Broadbent, regarding the Autumn Budget Announcement today.... You can read more about the budget on the Department of Health and Social Care website here👉https://lnkd.in/eG3PwR9C #Adultsocialcare #Government #Budgets

The Autumn Budget has put social care providers in an existential crisis, which will inevitably impact the people we care for. This represents the most significant challenge for social care since the Pandemic. Unlike that crisis, however, this one is self-inflicted, stemming from either a lack of consideration for health and care services beyond the core NHS or from poor communication. I remain hopeful that the issue is rooted in communication shortcomings. I trust that Local Authorities will be allocated sufficient funding to cover both the National Insurance (NI) and National Living Wage (NLW) increases, ensuring that providers across the sector can continue to operate sustainably. The well-being of countless individuals depends on prompt and thoughtful action.

Explore notes on the 2024 BC Budget! This memo highlights items tailored for plan administrators, employers, and members. Click the link to download the PDF and stay informed! https://lnkd.in/gGurzk5V #BCBudget2024 #PlanAdmin #Employers #Members