Podcast: ADASS chief reveals little has changed since Panorama exposé of social care crisis

Stephen Chandler, who invited BBC Panorama into Somerset County Council to film his team struggling to meet the demand for adult social care, has said sadly two years on little has changed.

The two-part series ‘Crisis in Care’ was powerful viewing to many when it aired in May 2019 and saw Matt Hancock who was social care secretary at the time describe the documentary in a Twitter post as "extremely distressing", saying: "We must do more to support staff and patients".

But two years on, Stephen Chandler tells the Let’s Talk About Care podcast that he is “not sure what impact it’s had.”

He said: “It was uncomfortable viewing. It brought alive at a personal level just what social care meant and all the struggles the families and workers were having.

“I was keen to showcase what we were doing and I was proud of the work not just the county council was doing but also the council staff in Somerset.

"It had an impact at the time, and my concern is the government doesn’t understand just how important social care is and just how important securing social care for the future is."

'Not to see detail emerging in the Queen's Speech was both worrying and frustrating'

Nearly three months after the Panorama programme aired, Mr Chandler left Somerset County Council to become corporate director of adults and housing services for Oxfordshire County Council and in 2021 became the new ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) president.

Over the next year as ADASS president, Mr Chandler wants to have a “clear plan” with how the government will reform adult social care and wants ADASS and its members to contribute to the reform in "developing the plans and priorities".

He said: “It is ensuring there is a sustainable financial future moving forward. We need a very clear plan for moving from the current system to the new system.”

Mr Chandler also spoke of his frustration social care was not mentioned in the Queen’s speech. “It’s been recognised as a real priority for us as a country and for the Queen’s speech not to give any detail was a real disappointment.

“Each and every council is struggling to ensure the resources needed are prioritised and that’s become harder and harder over the last 10 years not only with austerity but with the changing needs and demands for social care and the expectations of improvement. Not to see detail emerging in the Queen's Speech was both worrying and frustrating.”

'Every day I take my hat off to the work our social care workforce does'

Also in the podcast, the ADASS president talks about the lack of “recognition” social care workers receive: “There is such a richness of roles, experience and commitment and yet they do not get recognition in the same way the NHS get recognition.

“I think the public don’t yet fully understand and don’t fully appreciate the valuable role the social care worker carries out.

“Every day I take my hat off to the work our social care workforce does and the thing I most feel disappointed about is we don’t have an agreed consistency in how we treat our social care workforce but I am limited in the funds available and have to make them go as far as possible.”

As a corporate director of adults and housing services, Mr Chandler said he sometimes feels he has “let people down” because he has not been able to “provide enough funding. I feel for my social workers who have to do this on a day-to-day basis.

“I do get people who tell me I’m doing a horrible job, a crap job. I push back a little but it’s really important that feedback comes through.”

Mr Chandler also believes it is important the NHS and social care should work together but is “cautious” around the two integrating as one service. "I don’t think the NHS should take responsibility for social care. Culturally, we are very different.

"The NHS is very focused on the illness aspect of individuals. Local authorities are there for their citizens right from birth through to death. Their aim is to have their citizens as independent as possible for as long as possible. I think working together is really important but don’t make the mistake by assuming integration means you will get the benefit.”

To listen to the whole podcast click here.