Think social care first - by Sarah Clarke-Kuehn – Chief Operating Officer

Adult social care and providing support for the most vulnerable in society needs to be a high priority for the next Government following the announcement of the general election in July.

As one of the largest not-for-profit social care providers in the country, we want the next Government to put social care, and the people involved, central to their plans for change.

This is why we fully support the National Care Forum’s five calls for change – think social care first; invest in people, not profit; create an economic growth strategy for adult social care; improve pay, terms and conditions of the workforce; and enshrine rights, fairness and choice for people in a National Care Covenant.

At the heart of this needs to be putting people over profit. I am proud to work for an organisation that does exactly that. As a registered charity, Sanctuary’s surplus income doesn’t go to shareholders, it is re-invested into the things that matter most for our residents, their families and our staff.

Not-for-profit care offers many benefits including greater transparency in terms of governance, finances and accountability. We reinvest our surplus income, focusing on enriching the lives of our people, on creating a sense of community and belonging for our employees as much as for our residents, as well as a sense of achievement through the varied career pathways on offer. This in turn helps to support staff retention and ensure greater stability in our workforce, while equipping people with the skills to deliver the highest-quality care to residents.

From our own research into the topic, we found that 53% of care workers felt there needed to be a shift from profit to investing in people, while 34% also supported the introduction of a long-term Government strategy to reform and stabilise adult social care.

A national strategy regarding the future needs, capabilities and ambitions for a social care workforce will also ensure the adult social care system attracts and recruits the right people for current and future needs. We’re ready to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure reforms will ensure the long-term, sustainable delivery of good-quality care.

This is why we want to see the next Government prioritise social care for everyone, recognising this essential service and its value to society.