Priory responds to government announcement on social care reform and new commission
Date: 3rd January 2025
The government has today (Friday, 03 January) announced new reforms and an independent commission to transform social care.
In response, Rebekah Cresswell, chief executive of Priory, which provides mental health and adult social care services to more than 28,000 people a year at 280 sites across the UK, said:
“Any immediate and further action on social care is welcome, but it is imperative any short-term measures are fundamentally linked to the development of long-term solutions to the crisis in the sector.
“There is a concern there will be further delays to the largescale change needed, so it is essential the government works closely with the sector to look at the immediate and necessary steps needed to take positive and sustainable action earlier wherever possible.
“Developing truly integrated care, where health and social care services are delivered seamlessly to meet individuals' complex needs, is still a long way from being implemented in the way it was envisaged and, while there are positive steps outlined today by the government, there are some significant omissions.
“There is currently no mention specifically of people with autism and learning disabilities and we need to be assured about their inclusion in the new independent commission and that their needs and requirements are fully understood.
“As an integrated provider of mental health and adult social care services, we see first-hand how effective and cost-efficient a smooth transition from hospital to the community can be for the system when it works well, particularly for autistic people and people with learning disabilities.
"We also see how gaps in social care provision create inefficiencies, including individuals getting caught in conflict between health and social care as to who needs to fund their care. This causes delays to people receiving the right level of care and sometimes keeps them in more expensive placements than required.
“We are pleased to see the focus on career progression, development and upskilling as this is a key priority we outlined for the incoming government prior to the general election.
“Our organisation believes unequivocally that care is a career and that formalising career pathways is desperately needed to attract and keep people in adult social care roles so they have fulfilling and meaningful careers.
“As part of this work we are piloting specialist roles for support workers where they have an alternative route to career progression instead of going into management, such as specialising in diabetes, epilepsy and other medical conditions.
“We look forward to working with the government and Baroness Louise Casey to share our experiences and insights and help ensure better outcomes, greater independence and a better quality of life for all individuals – and to ensure people with autism and learning disabilities are fully included in the long-term planning.”
ENDS
Contact: [email protected]
About Priory and MEDIAN Group
Priory is the UK’s largest independent provider of mental health and adult social care services. Priory treats more than 70 conditions, including depression, anxiety, addictions and eating disorders, as well as children’s mental health, across its nationwide network of sites. Priory also supports autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, Prader-Willi Syndrome and brain injuries, as well as older people, within specialist residential care and supported living facilities – helping as many people as possible to live their lives.
Priory is part of the MEDIAN Group, the leading European provider of high-quality mental health and rehabilitation services. The MEDIAN Group comprises: Priory in the UK with 280 facilities and 5,000 beds caring for 28,000 people, MEDIAN in Germany with 120 facilities and 18,000 beds caring for 256,000 patients, and Hestia in Spain with 14 facilities and 2,000 beds caring for 10,000 people in Spain, with more than 30,000 employees across the group.