I have set up an online petition calling for
a Cabinet level Minister to be appointed for Social Care (click here) which I
hope you will sign and which I hope you will pass on to friends and colleagues.
Why?
Around one in five of the population is
affected by the decisions made by Government on Social Care and given that such
a large portion of the country is involved it seems only right that they should
have the appropriate representation at the highest level.
I say around 1 in 5 because the figure is
hard to estimate and it could well be higher. Carers UK estimate that there are
6.4 million people in the UK providing unpaid care for loved ones (details
here) and, naturally, there are a similar amount being cared for. The
latest figures from the NHS Information Centre state that there are 1.4 million
people in England receiving local authority funded care services, although this
figure does not include those receiving continuing care funding from the NHS, additionally
these figures are for England only, so the number is increased when the other
countries are taken into account. They are then increased further by the
unrecorded numbers who fund their own care services.
In addition, the latest figures from Skills
for Care tell us that there are 1.6 million paid workers in adult social care.
So, in a Nation that has a population of 62 million, one in five may well be a
conservative estimate.
At present Social Care is presided over by a
junior minister within the Department of Health and, whilst there is no doubt a
strong link between health and social care, this fails to encompass the greater
range of social care requirements of the people that need social care services.
Social Care is not a homogenous service. It
includes services for the elderly, for those with learning disabilities, those
with mental health issues or those with physical disabilities, yet, at present
all these services are the responsibility of a junior minister.
Social care also encompasses much more than
just health services, it includes housing issues, benefit payments, community
issues, for those under the age of 65 employment services come into the
equation.
As the population ages social care will be a
greater part of life with even more people either using or providing services.
It is time now for Government to fully recognise social care as a major part of
social policy in this country and appoint a Minister to the Cabinet to take
responsibility for it.
The
e-petition link again - http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/39701
I hope you will
take the time to sign it and that
you
will spread the word to your colleagues and friends
Thank
You
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