Latest news with #adultsocialcare
Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Priory Group heavily indebted despite improved trading
The Priory Group, the private equity-owned care business, remains heavily indebted despite an improvement in its trading, its latest accounts show. The business, which makes the majority of is revenue from the public sector, saw its debts and lease liabilities remain at about £1.2 billion while its sales and profit improved. The Priory Group is a provider of mental healthcare and adult social care. A healthcare division focuses on people with various mental health conditions and addiction problems, while its adult care arm provides residential and supported-living services for people with issues including learning disabilities and autism. It also supports older people who require nursing and dementia care. A substantial proportion of its revenue comes from public bodies such as local authorities and NHS providers. It says it offers 'additional bed capacity for the NHS and is therefore seen as an integral part of the mental healthcare system in the UK'.
Times
10-07-2025
- Health
- Times
Families should be told their rights on care funding
A storm has been brewing in adult social care for years — but now it is breaking. Recent analysis forecasts that the UK faces a £1.1 billion shortfall in adult social care funding by 2028-29 — this growing gap presents a significant issue for individuals who rely on care services, local authorities and the wider healthcare system. Current data indicates that self-funding individuals often pay significantly more for care services than those funded by local authorities. They can be charged twice as much for the same services, highlighting disparities in how care is funded and delivered across different groups. The average weekly cost of a residential care home in the UK now stands at around £1,100 — a rise of more than 20 per cent in five years. For nursing care, the figure is even higher. Despite the government's recent announcement of an extra £4 billion for social care — which sounds generous — independent analysis has laid bare that it is nowhere near enough. And worse, the burden is quietly being shifted onto those least able to carry it. This creeping injustice is particularly evident in NHS 'continuing healthcare' decisions. These are supposed to provide fully funded care for individuals with significant health needs. Yet, over the past decade, there's been a 20 per cent drop in the number of people deemed eligible. The criteria have not changed — but the interpretation clearly has. As budgets tighten, it appears eligibility thresholds are quietly rising. And the cost? Families being wrongly denied funding, pushed into selling homes, draining savings, and often spending six-figure sums on care they should never have paid for. The government's inability — or unwillingness — to cope with the realities of social care is directly fuelling this crisis. We are watching the slow-motion creation of a two-tier care system. One tier for those who can navigate the bureaucracy and appeal unjust funding decisions. And another for those who, exhausted and overwhelmed, simply pay up because they have no choice. But families can challenge these decisions — and in many cases, successfully. The problem is, they are rarely told how, or even that they can. This quiet scandal must be dragged into the light. If you're one of the many families affected, know this: you are not alone, and you may have been wrongly paying for care that should have been funded from the start. It's time the government stopped balancing the books on the backs of vulnerable families. And it's time more people knew their rights — because reclaiming wrongly paid care fees isn't just about money. It's about Morgan is a partner at the law firm Hugh James
BBC News
13-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Adult social care in Stoke-on-Trent is rated as good
A regulator has praised a city council for its commitment to "promoting people's independence" as part of its adult social care Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the Stoke-on-Trent City Council's adult social care service as "good" following a recent inspection.A report released on Friday highlighted staff's "passion" and leadership, but criticised the authority for delays in people accessing equipment or home City Council has been approached for a comment on the report. James Bullion, CQC's chief inspector of adult social care, said the authority had improved services through "effective management and close work with partner organisations".He said staff demonstrated a passion for improving people's lives while leaders were focused on "making the authority a great place to live and work for all residents"."We saw a local authority committed to promoting people's independence to give them the best possible outcome," Mr Bullion added. 'Hard work' However, he said the authority needed better oversight of equality diversity and inclusion work and highlighted delays in some parts of the service and resource experienced some delays in receiving assessments, he added, as well as reviews for social care, occupational therapy and financial Bullion concluded by saying the report had positive findings that "reflect the hard work of staff" and the authority had plans in place to improve the issues identified. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Adult social care shake-up 'rethink' after protest
Plans to shake-up adult social care in Dorset are being "re-evaluated" following protests and feedback from users and their families, a council has said. Dorset Council is considering changes to adult social care services at six centres in Blandford, Swanage, Wareham, Ferndown, Shaftesbury and Sherborne. About 100 people staged a protest opposite one of the centres - Blandford Community Centre - in May, against the proposed reorganisation of where and how services are delivered amid fears some of the centres could close. Dorset Council said it wanted to move to a "hubs and spokes" model but insisted "no decisions have been made". A consultation runs until Monday. North Dorset Conservative MP Simon Hoare said the centre in Blandford should be left out of any reorganisation. "It's easy for people to get to, it serves not just the town but the villages around it," he explained. "We have the hub and spoke model, it's working. My view is - if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Pauline Saville, from Blandford, has a grown up son with learning disabilities who has received day care in Blandford for about 20 years. She said it was "vital" the service was protected and not moved to Sturminster Newton, as proposed. "It's very important to my son. It's where his friends are... If he didn't have it he'd be at home vegetating, and it's vital for me because it's my respite." Councillor Steve Robinson, cabinet member for adult social care at Dorset Council, said it was now "re-evaluating" its initial proposals. "The opportunity that people have got at the moment to contribute [to the consultation] online, the demonstration that we've had, or the letters that we've received, all go in and inform the decision making process," he explained. "This is not about what happens with our buildings, this is about how we provide services for people in our community." He added all consultation responses would be considered throughout June and July ahead of a decision in the autumn. 'Save vital day centre for wife who has dementia' Dorset Council
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Dorset adult social care shake-up 'rethink' after protest
Plans to shake-up adult social care in Dorset are being "re-evaluated" following protests and feedback from users and their families, a council has Council is considering changes to adult social care services at six centres in Blandford, Swanage, Wareham, Ferndown, Shaftesbury and 100 people staged a protest opposite one of the centres - Blandford Community Centre - in May, against the proposed reorganisation of where and how services are delivered amid fears some of the centres could Council said it wanted to move to a "hubs and spokes" model but insisted "no decisions have been made". A consultation runs until Monday. North Dorset Conservative MP Simon Hoare said the centre in Blandford should be left out of any reorganisation."It's easy for people to get to, it serves not just the town but the villages around it," he explained."We have the hub and spoke model, it's working. My view is - if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Pauline Saville, from Blandford, has a grown up son with learning disabilities who has received day care in Blandford for about 20 years. She said it was "vital" the service was protected and not moved to Sturminster Newton, as proposed."It's very important to my son. It's where his friends are... If he didn't have it he'd be at home vegetating, and it's vital for me because it's my respite." Councillor Steve Robinson, cabinet member for adult social care at Dorset Council, said it was now "re-evaluating" its initial proposals."The opportunity that people have got at the moment to contribute [to the consultation] online, the demonstration that we've had, or the letters that we've received, all go in and inform the decision making process," he explained."This is not about what happens with our buildings, this is about how we provide services for people in our community."He added all consultation responses would be considered throughout June and July ahead of a decision in the autumn.
