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'Care groups can't subside councils' duty of care'

Lucinda Adam
BBC Sussex, political reporter
Lucinda Adam/BBC A group of people, some with learning disabilities, hold home made banners at the demonstration. The banners read 'invest in social care', 'help' and 'social care changes lives'. Lucinda Adam/BBC
People with learning disabilities and their carers gathered outside County Hall in Chichester to call for fairer funding of social care.

People with learning disabilities and their carers have held a demonstration calling for fairer funding of social care.

They gathered outside County Hall in Chichester where West Sussex council leaders were discussing next year's budget proposals.

Social care spending is due to increase by almost £30 million, a rise of 5.3%, but care providers say an uplift of a least 8% is needed to cover mandatory increases in staffing costs.

The government says it is given £3.7 billion extra to local authorities for 2025-26.

Lucinda Adam/BBC Neil Blanchard has short blond hair and wears glasses. He stand with the demonstration behind him wearing a black coat and a patterned grey scarf. Lucinda Adam/BBC
Neil Blanchard is chair of the Sussex Learning Disability group representing the chief executives of all Sussex's care and support not-for-profit organisations.

The Sussex Learning Disability group combines the leaders of all of Sussex's not-for profit care and support organisations, including Southdown, Guild Care, Active Prospects, Grace Eyre, Amaze, Ferring County Centre and Speak Out.

The group says increases in the national living wage and employers' national insurance from April will not be covered by the fee increases councils are offering.

Its members say a carer working 16 hours per week currently costs them about £60 per year in employer national insurance contributions, but that is set to rise to £700-£800 per year.

Group chair Neil Blanchard, chief executive of Southdown, said: "The role of our organisations is not to subside services that the local authority have a duty of care to provide and they're contracting us to provide."

Lucinda Adam/BBC On the left, Debbie has short brown hair and glasses and wears a grey coat. In the middle, Matthew has very short brown hair and wears a dark green waterproof coat. On the right, Alison has reddish-brown hair in a bob with a fringe. She wears a black coat over a black hoodie jumper. All three are smiling. Lucinda Adam/BBC
Debbie, Matthew and Alison spoke about what the care they receive means to them.

Some of those at the demonstration who have learning disabilities said they were concerned about their current level of care being reduced.

Debbie attends the Aldingbourne Trust's day centre. She said: "We do arts and craft, cooking, computing and I'm just learning maths and English.

"I feel that is we have to have cutbacks it would be bad."

Matthew, who is supported to work, said: "Working makes me feel like I'm one of everyone else, because working with friends is better than doing nothing at all."

Alison, who has home care support, said: "They come and see me in my home and talk to me.

"If I didn't have that I'd be depressed and worried."

West Sussex County Council cabinet members came out to meet with demonstrators.

Later at the meeting Amanda Jupp, cabinet member for adult services, acknowledged "the intended funding does not fully meet the needs" of care users.

She said: "We are committed to lobbying government to fund us better."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We are taking action by increasing funding to allow disabled people to stay in their homes, boosting the carers allowance and professionalising the workforce.

"The Casey Commission will work to build consensus around the future of adult social care that is fair and affordable."

The commission is set to publish its first report on the future of social care next year.

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