Last Updated on November 3, 2016

Two new surveys have highlighted the deepening social care crisis and the thoughts of the public on social care funding. Firstly, figures from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have identified projected overspends of almost £0.5bn (£441m), further closures of care homes and care homes with nursing and increased handing back of contracts, together with increased pressure from the NHS.

The figures are revealed in a snapshot survey of 129 of the 152 directors of adult social services in England. It finds that councils are planning to use their reserves and other one-off funding to plug the huge gap.

It also found that, in the last six months, 62% of councils have had care home and care home with nursing closures, and 57% have experienced care providers handing back contracts. The closure of services and handing back of contracts has affected an estimated 10,820 people using council-funded care with some of them having to move to a new care home.

Nearly four in five councils (79%) have quality concerns with one or more homecare and/or care home provider (84%).

The situation is made worse by pressures from the NHS. Some projected overspends, particularly the larger amounts, reflect a reduction in funding from the NHS to social care. Other results include:

• 68% of directors having discussions about reductions to NHS-funded continuing healthcare;
• 56% reporting increased demand for healthcare activity to be undertaken by social care staff; and
• 51% reporting increased demand from people with very high needs not being admitted to hospital.

ADASS Immediate Past President Ray James said, 'This survey paints a picture of adult social care verging ever nearer to a point of crisis. The funding gaps are a huge concern for the sector because the impact this is having on the lives of thousands of older and disabled people, their families and carers, is both significant and extremely worrying.

'Adult social care is entering a “perfect storm” which is impacting on vulnerable people who are getting less help and whose need for care won’t stop. Urgent and significant government investment is needed now to address funding for the sector, or thousands of people who rely, or hope to rely, on receiving care, will suffer as a result.'

The ADASS survey comes at the same time as a national public poll from the Local Government Association which says that two thirds of people believe a greater share of the total health budget should be spent on care for older and disabled people provided by councils.

Just 11% of the £129bn health and care budget is spent by councils on adult social care, with the remainder on health services.

The poll, carried out by Populus Data Solutions for the LGA, reveals nearly two thirds of respondents (62%) think adult social care services should receive a much higher proportion of health and care funding.

The LGA, which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, says the only way to deal with the significant pressures facing both adult social care and the NHS is to invest more in services that help to keep people out of hospital and to stay in their communities.

This is at a time when record numbers of people find themselves unable to leave hospital due to a lack of care in the community and increasing numbers of people unable to get care are having to turn to stretched A&E departments instead.

The LGA says there is also a need to raise national awareness of the importance of adult social care services.

It comes as the poll, published in the LGA's new State of the Nation report on the adult social care funding crisis reveals many people underestimate the scale of the problem.