The Government has unveiled a £600 million package to help with local recruitment and retention in social care, with Surrey County Council set to receive £52,532,733.
The fund will support the social care workforce and boost capacity in social care, in turn supporting the NHS ahead of winter and through into next year. Last week the Minister for Care wrote to local authorities about preparations for winter, alongside the Chief Executive of NHS England writing to NHS organisations about early planning to jointly prepare for winter demands on health and social care services.
The funding for adult social care includes a £570 million workforce fund over two years, distributed to local authorities, and £30 million funding for local authorities in the most challenged health systems. It will help to improve recruitment and retention, boost workforce capacity and ensure a sustainable social care workforce fit for the future. It can be used flexibly based on local need, including to increase the fees given to care providers, which will enable better pay for care workers.
In addition, as part of our initiative to improve care for everyone across the country, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has launched a new £10 million per year funding programme focused on social care research. The Research Programme for Social Care will collect information on the people at the heart of care, providing government and the sector with clear paths on how they can improve, expand and strengthen social care for people in need of care, carers, the social care workforce and the public.
