Care crisis needs urgent action

FAMILIES of seriously ill children in the UK desperately need a new deal on care staff.

They are increasingly being asked to fill the void left by complex care staff shortages and that is having a dangerous impact on an already tired and weary population of unpaid carers, whose children require round the clock medical supervision and complex care.

The families that Wellchild supports have had two years without the proper care and support they need to keep their children safe at home, instead of hospital.

It is not acceptable or sustainable for already exhausted parents to continue to cover care staff shortages, which will often include consecutive day and night shifts. It is now a matter of urgency that action is taken on this immediate crisis before it’s too late.

In a recent Wellchild survey, more than 50 families from across the UK have shared their individual experiences of reduced care packages with the charity, with nearly 80% experiencing problems with their current care package since the outbreak of Covid-19 and 88% saying that there is an expectation from their care provider that they would cover ever more frequent staff shortages.

Having had to step up during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, many are being expected to continue to do so with no respite in sight.

The impacts of this reduction to care packages on families are enormous.

● 57% said the extra care responsibilities piled on to already stressed parents has had a negative impact on their mental health.

● 63% of the parents said it is having a negative impact on their physical health.

● 37% said that they felt the changes to their care package have had a negative impact on their ability to keep their child safe.

Wellchild is urgently calling for a ‘new deal’ for parents and carers of children with complex care needs. In particular:

Urgent action to address complex care workforce shortages, including a review into whether properly skilled overseas workers could help fill the gap to avert the immediate crisis.

Provision and priority access to tailored mental health support for families, especially those having to cover care staff shortages.

A review into the complex care workforce and implementation of a new national framework for care staff recruitment, pay, training and retention.

Making it an enforceable legal requirement for care providers to have contingency plans to provide cover when necessary and support them with the funding and tools to achieve this.

Active engagement with parents to explore different and more creative models of care provision.

Support the Disabled Children’s Partnership call to close the £2.1bn funding gap for disabled children’s health and social care and for local councils to invest in the health and care services disabled children and families are entitled to as they set budgets by April 2022.

Colin Dyer Chief Executive, Wellchild