Adult social care in a “fragile place”, claims Rotherham director

A council adult care director says that adult social care has “been in the most fragile place of my whole career”.
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Anne Marie Lubanski. Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health. Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, updated members of the overview and scrutiny management board at their meeting on December 15.

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Ms Lubanski told councillors that there is a “national workforce issue around social care for adults”, which is has been made worse by the pandemic.

Adult care and housing is expected to cost £6.5m during the next financial year, which is forecast to almost double to £14.2m in 2023/24.Adult care and housing is expected to cost £6.5m during the next financial year, which is forecast to almost double to £14.2m in 2023/24.
Adult care and housing is expected to cost £6.5m during the next financial year, which is forecast to almost double to £14.2m in 2023/24.
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A financial strategy report, which was presented to the board for scrutiny before it goes to cabinet on December 20, states that the “demand and cost of social care services also continues to increase”.

The report added that there are “significant pressures on the council’s adult care services”, and the service will not be able to deliver an estimated £1m in savings before the end of the financial year.

Adult care and housing is expected to cost £6.5m during the next financial year, which is forecast to almost double to £14.2m in 2023/24.

This is due to a “range of issues which the Council is not in controlof,” including a “rise in complexity of people’s needs”.

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The report adds that mental health services have seen an “incremental rise ofacute admissions and people experiencing significant high levels of need.”

The number of people who need two carers has increased by 30 per cent in the last financial year.

Ms Lubanski told the meeting: “Adult Social Care has probably been in the most fragile place in my whole career at this point. I can’t see that significantly changing for the foreseeable future.

“We’ve had a number of young people coming through with significantly high needs.

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