Young Disabled People: Social Care Services
Lord Laming Excerpts(3 days, 7 hours ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
It certainly does. The noble Baroness has been positive about the plans that we have for the independent commission, led by the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, to resolve once and for all, on a cross-party basis, adult social care. The noble Baroness makes a very good point about the role of carers. Indeed, when we think of a young carer particularly, it is crucial that their needs are considered and that support is given. It is part of the whole way in which we support someone who needs social care, no matter what their age.
Lord Laming (CB)
My Lords, when the Public Services Committee took evidence on the transitional arrangements for young people with disabilities, we experienced two extremes in that evidence. One was that the transfer from education services to social care services was badly handled in a lot of authorities. As the noble Baroness, Lady Monckton, said, it felt like falling off a cliff, with young people then described as unemployable. The second, which was quite inspiring, was where local authorities had established a local hub where employers could meet these young people. They discovered there things that could benefit both sides, and that the young people blossomed in work. Will the Minister do everything possible to encourage the second?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
The noble Lord is correct to reference the committee’s findings. People should not be written off as unable to work. It is about getting the right support in place, with the right provisions and at the right time. I certainly share his view. That is why we are working across government to achieve the very thing that he talks about.
Health and Social Care: Winter Update
Lord Laming Excerpts(1 week, 3 days ago)
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Lord Laming (CB)
The Minister will be pleased to know that the House was glad that she referred to social care. Every day in the winter there are thousands of patients who no longer need to be in hospital; it is not good for them to remain in hospital, and it is not good for the NHS that they remain in hospital. In addition to the considerations of the social care commission, which will take some time to go through, will it be possible to have a proper endeavour to address these issues before next winter? As the Minister said, there always seems to be a winter crisis now. Would it be possible to get local government and the charities together, but also—and this is not difficult to do—to respect the role of unpaid carers and to provide support for people who are, in effect, taking over the care of patients who would otherwise remain in hospital?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
The noble Lord is right to remind us of the challenge of having people in the right place, rather than in hospital when they do not need to be there. We have already taken action, so I am pleased to be able to reassure him that, while the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, will look at long-term solutions for social care, she will present a report within a year from her commencement, which will add to the actions that we have already taken.
The noble Lord talked about unpaid carers—and I certainly share the respect that he holds for unpaid carers, so I am very pleased that we have given the biggest boost in income to family carers through eligibility for the carer’s allowance. That has meant an additional —on average, of course—£2,300 a year. That is the biggest boost since carer’s allowance was introduced in the 1970s. We are also legislating for a fair pay agreement, for the first time ever, which will help to tackle the number of vacancies, now standing at 131,000. There will be immediate action, because discharge requires being able to be in the right environment, which might be home but it might need an adaptation. Through the disabled facilities grant there will be a further 7,800 adaptations to homes both this year and next year. So we have taken the immediate action—and, yes, there is a lot more to do.
Adult Social Care: Long-term Workforce Plan
Lord Laming Excerpts(2 weeks, 4 days ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I myself have seen some tremendous examples of the use of technology in allowing people to be in the right environment for themselves and their situation. I assure the noble Lord that we are continuing to work to develop medical technology, not just getting it rolled out and applicable but developing new medtech where necessary.
Perhaps I could use this opportunity to make an allied point. We have also published new guidance on safe delegation to care staff, which I hope will also help professionalise the workforce. We are working to support that across the country. That includes, for example, having care staff taking blood pressure. These are simple but obvious measures that I think work for everybody.
Lord Laming (CB)
My Lords, the Minister will realise that the workforce in social care is not as varied as in the National Health Service. However, that is not to underestimate the fact that there are staff working in clients’ homes, day centres, residential units and office-based organisations. Will she ensure that, when the workforce is being considered in social care, it will be considered in the round and not just in a narrow way?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
I can give that assurance to the noble Lord, and I am glad he has identified to your Lordships’ House the wide range of circumstances in which the workforce might be. For the benefit of your Lordships’ House, I should add that, in their manifesto, the Government made a commitment to
“ensure the publication of regular, independent workforce planning, across health and social care”.
We are currently developing advice on the options about how to fulfil this commitment for adult social care, which will take account of the point the noble Lord made.
Health and Adult Social Care Reform
Lord Laming Excerpts(3 weeks, 3 days ago)
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Lord Laming (CB)
My Lords, the Statement is most welcome, not least the attention given to social care services. I congratulate the Minister and the Government on striking that proper balance between health and social care. The issues are hugely challenging, very expensive and important for the whole of society, especially if the National Health Service is to survive and prosper, for reasons that the Minister has touched on. The issues in social care range from recognition of the very important contribution of unpaid carers to the fact that a large number of local authorities face financial problems which place their future in a degree of jeopardy. The commission to be chaired by the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, will tackle these and many other issues, but we have to get through the immediate situation. Can the Minister assure the House that, in taking the social care agenda forward, from today these matters will be kept in sharp focus and handled with great vigour and determination?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
I am pleased to give that assurance and thank the noble Lord for his welcome for these measures. As I mentioned earlier in response to opposition Front-Benchers, we have not waited. In the last six months, we have made a number of immediate changes. He mentioned carers, and it is worth emphasising that, as I said, the increase in carer’s allowance is the largest since the 1970s. It will mean roughly an extra £2,300 a year for family carers. That is extremely significant. This House rightly presses me on the need to recognise carers, in particular unpaid carers, which we have done. The whole range of measures I described earlier will show our direction. I look forward to the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, publishing her first report next year. Those recommendations will also be there straightaway. We are doing this on all timescales.
National Carers Strategy
Lord Laming Excerpts(2 months, 1 week ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I certainly agree with the emphasis that my noble friend is putting on the need for cross-government working. I know she has been a champion of that for many years in the other place and that she will continue in your Lordships’ House to ensure that unpaid carers are properly supported and recognised. I can tell my noble friend that Minister Kinnock, as the lead Minister for unpaid carers, regularly engages with those with lived experience, the organisations that represent them and—importantly to the point my noble friend is making—with Ministers from other government departments, most recently the Department for Work and Pensions. We will be formalising our cross-government working with relevant departments and NHS England.
Lord Laming (CB)
My Lords, if the Government are going to achieve their ambition to delay admissions to hospital and get people out of hospital more quickly, does the Minister agree that we have got to have proper support for carers? In particular, we should enable them to feel valued for what they are doing on behalf of their family and society as a whole.
Baroness Merron (Lab)
I agree with the comments and observations of the noble Lord. I would like to put on record, as I know many Members of your Lordships’ House would want to do, my thanks for and acknowledgement of the role that unpaid, as well as paid, carers play. They are the difference between quality care and less than optimal care. Their support is greatly valued, so I thank the noble Lord for making that point.
NHS Continuing Healthcare
Lord Laming Excerpts(4 months, 4 weeks ago)
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Baroness Merron (Lab)
I thank the noble Lord for his welcome, and I welcome him; I hope we have set the standard on this first Question on the first day. What matters is that people are getting the right care in the right place, and that it is provided near to where they want it. We think that continuing healthcare is one means of doing that; of course, care homes are another. It is about getting in place what is right. I will be very pleased to speak to the noble Lord outside the Chamber on this matter.
Lord Laming (CB)
My Lords, I too welcome the noble Baroness to her post. Does she agree that our society would benefit greatly if we gave more recognition to the load that carers carry in these situations? According to the evidence they gave to our committee, unpaid carers sometimes feel that they are regarded by the health service simply as the chauffeur getting the person to hospital, whereas they are actually providing a huge amount of care. Can the noble Baroness assure the House that recognition will be given to unpaid carers?
Baroness Merron (Lab)
I am pleased to take this opportunity to give great recognition to the role that unpaid carers play; they are absolutely crucial to ensuring that people get the care they need, either directly or perhaps by being advocates. I also thank the noble Lord for his kind comments. While unpaid carers are very busy looking after those they care for, they need to be able to look after themselves and their own health needs. We will apply ourselves to this issue.