Torbay’s MP, Kevin Foster, has welcomed news Torbay Council will receive a £1.2m funding boost as part of a £600 million government funding package to help with recruitment and retention in social care.
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. An additional £10million per year programme will enhance research into adult social care and inform future policies for social care.
The Government is also writing to local authorities about preparations for winter, and NHS England has written to NHS organisations encouraging contingency planning to prepare for winter demands on the health service. The government is encouraging local health and care systems to prepare jointly for the winter months earlier this year, increasing resilience and preparedness for seasonal viruses such as flu or Covid.
The £600 million 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. Torbay Council will receive £1,260,132 as part of this latest announcement.
Kevin Foster MP said: “Social care workers across our bay not only support people to do basic tasks, but to enjoy life. This two-year package of funding will help support a workforce which is dedicated to supporting others, providing opportunities for development and growth.”
This funding follows the social care workforce reforms announced earlier this year, and works, alongside the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, to build a stronger overall foundation for the health and social care workforce. In addition, as part of the government’s initiative to improve care for everyone across the country, the National Institute for Health and Care Research 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.
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