Rising demand and potential staff shortages are putting pressure on the social care system, the leader of Staffordshire County Council has said.
Cllr Alan White made his comments in the wake of the publication of the Government’s White Paper on social care.
The document outlines how provision will be improved over the next ten years.
Cllr White said the Government needed to ensure funding was reaching areas where it was needed most.
“The provision of good quality adult social care needs putting on a long-term sustainable footing rather than leaving to individual local authorities, so I will look at the detail of this proposal with great interest.
“Although National Insurance contributions will rise in April to fund social care costs, initially most of that additional money is going to the NHS at a time when demand for social care continues to rise.
“The county council has already taken steps in Staffordshire – by itself and working with others such as the NHS – to improve recruitment and retention of home care staff, but there is no doubt that in the short term a combination of rising demand and potential staff shortages is putting more pressure on the system.”
Cllr Alan White, Staffordshire County Council
