Short term planning creates higher long term costs for adult social care

Cost is the overriding consideration for senior authority decision makers when making choices about social care plans for people with learning disabilities.

A survey of senior local authority decision makers, published by disability charity FitzRoy, revealed two fifths of local councils plan social care packages on a short term basis, regularly making decisions only a year in advance to create immediate cost savings.

The charity is concerned that making short term savings could result in higher long term costs for local authorities and have a negative impact on an individual person’s quality of life.

Anna Galliford, chief executive at FitzRoy said: “Short-term planning threatens the whole quality of a person’s life, whether they want to establish new relationships, develop new skills, go to work or be more involved in their local community.

“Local authorities face a huge responsibility to help adults with learning disabilities and their families find the best care and living arrangements for them. This cannot be determined by cost alone; these are lifetime decisions that must be based on whole life planning – looking beyond the current budget cycle.

“Short-term planning is illogical and is adding insurmountable pressure on local authorities, who are already struggling to cope with severe budget cuts and increasing demand for their services.

“Long-term planning and measuring well-being, however, can help manage demand and reduce the cost burden that is weighing so heavily on local authorities today.”

Although 94 per cent of care commissioners accepted the drawbacks with short term planning, they argued local councils should be given more opportunities to make the long term decision they want to be able to make, with 87 per cent believing long term planning is the single greatest opportunity to improve the quality of adults with learning disabilities’ lives.

FitzRoy help people with learning disabilities to live more independently and called on the Government to publish guidelines helping local authorities understand the well-being guidelines in the Draft Care and Support Bill which will reach committee stage in the House of Commons on 9 January 2014.

Under the Bill, local authorities will have an obligation to promote individual well-being for people with a learning disability, but FitzRoy’s report showed a quarter of councils felt underprepared to carry out this responsibility, and 44 per cent revealed they do not currently have a strategy in place to successfully promote well-being.

A further third of councils admitted they were not even aware of their upcoming duty to fulfil this role.

Galliford continued: “With the introduction of new well-being measures, local government has a steep learning curve ahead of it. This could be a great turning point for social care and we are calling on the government to help define well-being as clearly as possible, and to help put individuals at the centre of social care decisions.”

“Adults with learning disabilities and their families need to know that they will be supported to live as independent and fulfilling a life as possible, and appropriately cared for.

“Care decisions have an almighty impact on an individual’s ability to manage their disability and how they live their life, for the rest of their lives.”