[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Caring Times editor GEOFF HODGSON

Care providers are understandably annoyed that those in government have intimated that no plans for social care reform will be published before the end of this year, but they will hardly be surprised, given the more than two decades of inaction that have already passed. And few others are making any fuss.

And anyway, care homes have been favoured with an Adult Social Care Winter Plan, which sounds very grand. It comes with a promise of £546 million in hard cash by way of extending the Infection Control Fund, and is perhaps designed to counter any perception that government has been less than attentive to the welfare of frail elderly people of late. The Adult Social Care Winter Plan also comes with a big stick with which to wallop those care homes which will not or cannot comply with an array of new operational restrictions, assuming they can manage to stay in business.

I would be both amazed and distrustful if any comprehensive, detailed plan for social care reform were to be published before the end of this year, or before the end of next year for that matter; amazed because, what with one thing and another thing, the present government has a lot on its plate just at present and, for all the hyperbole we hear about a “broken system” and a “social care crisis”, things keep creaking along without a murmur of outrage from the general population. I’d be distrustful because we have seen so many half-baked schemes run up the flagpole before, and I do not think the present administration has the nous to come up with a credible blueprint.

I don’t like to be negative but the UK seems to be in a negative space at the moment and in respect of adult social care, I think things will have to get quite a lot worse before anything of any moment is done.

• The CT Blog is written in a personal capacity – comments and opinions expressed are not necessarily endorsed or supported by Caring Times.

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