Under embargo until: 00.01hrs Wednesday 4 July 2007
Free personal care in Scotland is working but recently announced review needs to ensure entitlements are clarified
A report assessing the impact of the Scottish Executive’s free personal care policy has shown the number of older people receiving social care services at home from local authorities rose by 10% between 2002 and 2005. But the proportion of this group receiving personal care increased by 62% over the same period.
Commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the report shows that the increase in personal care provision cannot be explained by demographic trends or higher rates of disability. Statistical data and interviews with local authority social care managers showed no reduction of ‘informal’ care from relatives or friends. Instead, a pattern has been emerging where informal carers provide other types of support, such as social outings. The report shows how the policy is effectively increasing the amount of care an older person can receive, while also supporting carers.
Examining how local authorities have been delivering the policy, the authors found stark contrasts in budgetary control and costs. While some local authorities stayed within budget, others had overspent and cited free personal care as a significant cause. Local authority average annual spending ranged from £1,500 to £8,000 per person. But the report cites evidence that higher costs did not necessarily mean better services.
Free personal care was found to have continuing wide public support in Scotland. While 59% believe that personal care should be paid for by government, 68% would pay an extra penny in the pound income tax to finance it.
However, the report raises concerns around the possibility of narrowing eligibility criteria for free care to keep costs down, and of withdrawing some care services not covered under free personal care.
Report author David Bell said, "The announcement of an independent review is a welcome start to ensuring that the policy is working effectively. As our report shows, there are two critical issues that must be addressed. Firstly, there needs to be transparency about entitlements, with local authorities being clear on how they fulfil their responsibilities. Secondly, the funding of the policy needs to be adequate to prevent any ‘rationing’ or reduction of services offered."
The report also stresses the importance of learning the lessons where resources have been used most effectively. "Some local authorities are managing to provide high quality services with low relative expenditure. It is vital to emulate this good practice," added David Bell.
Notes to Editors:
- The full report, Free personal care in Scotland: recent developments by David Bell, Alison Bowes and Alison Dawson, is published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
- A four-page Findings summary is available.
- Caring Choices: Who will pay for long-term care? is a nationwide initiative to help shape future policy on long-term care for older people. A series of UK-wide events have been organised to gain a clearer view of the trade offs people may be willing to make to fund long-term care of older people. Caring Choices is a collaboration of 15 organisations, led by the King’s Fund, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Help the Aged and Age Concern, representing all aspects of the long-term care system. www.caringchoices.org.uk.
- The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is one of the largest social policy research and development charities in the UK. It supports a research and development programme that seeks to understand the causes of social difficulties and explore ways of overcoming them.
Issued by Nasreen Memon, JRF Head of Media Relations: 01904 615 919 / 020 7278 9665 / nasreen.memon@jrf.org.uk