Elderly ‘put at risk’ as thousands of care providers fail inspections

THoUSANDS of social care providers persistently fail inspections – putting older people at risk, figures show.

Analysis of data from the Care Quality Commission has found 3,302 social care services were given ratings of ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ for at least two inspections in a row.

In almost 700 cases, the rating actually went down between inspections, the Labour analysis found. The services include care homes as well as companies providing home helps.

It came as Theresa May’s former deputy called for ‘radical and brave’ change alongside extra cash to help social care services. Conservative former Cabinet minister Damian Green said a forthcoming Green Paper setting out proposals for the sector must address the short and long-term challenges, and he called on parties to work together.

He added he ‘agrees with all those who say we need more funding’ although warned against rolling social and health care cash together.

one consequence of such a merger could be that social care becomes the ‘Cinderella of the health system’ by never being treated as a priority when money is allocated, Mr Green said.

Last night Barbara Keeley, Labour’s social care spokesman, said: ‘The failure of so many services to improve shows the scale of the social care quality problems that have taken root under the Tories.

‘Tory funding cuts to councils have seen social care budgets slashed by £6.3billion since 2010, leading to a fifth of care facilities getting the lowest care quality ratings.

‘Cuts means providers have less money to pay staff, invest in training or facilities, leading them to get trapped in a cycle of poor quality care provision.’ The chief inspector of adult social care at the CQC, Andrea Sutcliffe, said: ‘Most people using adult social care services experience care that CQC has rated as “good” and... the majority of services originally rated as “inadequate” improve on re-inspection.’

Tory MP Maria Caulfield said: ‘Just like last time, Labour’s plan would lead to spiralling debt, meaning more money wasted on debt interest and less funding for our health and social care system.’