Social workers raise concerns about personal budgets in social care

(19/5/10) Social workers and managers in social care have raised serious concerns about the roll out of personal budgets, in a survey commissioned by UNISON, the UK’s leading public sector trade union, and Community Care.

The union is warning that cuts proposed by the new coalition government, will hit the process harder still, and lead to the pro-choice principles of personalisation being lost.

Social work professionals said that the introduction of personal budgets has led to vital local services being shut down, and qualified social workers being replaced with cheaper staff. Further concerns were raised about the levels of consultation with people and families that depend on care services, and the amount of support available to help people self-assess their care.

Helga Pile, UNISON National Officer for Social Services, said:

“Worrying numbers of people are reporting vital local services, such as day centres, are being shut down. Councils are making these decisions purely on the assumption that less people will be using them on personal budgets.

“The real story is that social care is chronically underfunded, and many councils are making choices between either personal budgets or local authority managed and provided services.

“UNISON has repeatedly warned that rushing personalised budgets through when funds are tight will mean risking long-term choice. For some people, such as the elderly, stepping into the role of employer, to manage their own care on a personal budget, could be a step too far. If local services disappear, these people will be left without the care and support they need.

“Lack of resources is also leading to large numbers of qualified adult social workers being replaced with cheaper staff. And staffing levels are likely to be a key factor in why many people do not feel they have enough time to consult care users and their families, or support them through self-assessment.

“We have already seen the damaging impact of care being sold off to the lowest bidder. Quality cannot flourish in this environment, and the casualties will be vital local services, and the people who depend on them. And as budgets get squeezed under the Tory/Lib Dem administration, these problems will only get worse.”

Key findings of the survey:

82% percent of people agreed that cuts to adult social care budgets will impede the progress of personalisation.

56% said services such as day centres were being closed down on the grounds that personal budgets will mean reduced use.

66% did not feel like they had enough time to support people being self assessed with care.

47% said they felt service users and their families had not been very involved, or not involved at all in making personalisation happen.

43% said that the roll out of personalisation was leading to fewer qualified social workers in adult social care, as experienced professionals are lost and replaced with cheaper staff.

For a summary of the results, please use this link:

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/static-pages/articles/the-state-of-personalisation/

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