Big-name care sector figures have accused the Conservative Party of paying little to no attention to the ailing sector ahead of the General Election.

Rishi Sunak’s party has seemingly abandoned social care, with social welfare budget cuts expected and the Prime Minister failing to mention the sector in his first debate with Kier Starmer.

Care England chief executive Martin Green began positively, saying: “The Conservative Party’s plan to deliver a multi-year funding settlement for local authorities is welcome and would help deliver security to care providers and their local partners across the country. While the scale of investment is not specified, it would certainly be a step in the right direction.”

However, he added: “Otherwise, the party’s plans appear to largely represent a continuation of the current reform agenda, with little to no detail on how pledges would be achieved. That agenda has been scaled back, delayed and reformed countless times over the past five years, so there is certainly work to be done in terms of winning back trust across the sector.”

Elsewhere, on the topic of both Labour and Tories agreeing to honour the previously discussed £86,000 cap on care costs, Green said: “We need all parties to state their policy on social care clearly and honour it when elected. Every single party has made promises on social care, and not one has delivered when they are in government. We are frankly sick of hollow promises, so anything that any party promises must be delivered at the start of their first term. “

Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers’ Charity, added: “It is disappointing that in an 80-page document, care only receives a few lines.

“The only commitment seems to be a continuation of reforms discussed over the last few years, which have not been nearly enough to support the sector.

“We are concerned by the impact of benefit changes on people drawing on social care and on care workers, who, as low-paid workers, often need support via benefits themselves. We would like to see clarification on welfare reforms and their impact on working claimants.

“I was surprised to see the NHS along with social care appearing so far down the list of priorities and that the NHS and social care were not mentioned in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s speech introducing the manifesto.

“We do welcome the multi-year funding settlement, but this depends on how much funding will be provided and over how many years. We would like to see further detailed plans for this.

“Similarly, while we welcome the 30 hours of childcare, as many care workers with families rely on childcare support, we question the sustainability of this initiative given the current issues with recruitment and retention in the early years sector.

“Overall, the manifesto is disappointing for adult social care, and we would have liked to see this discussed more comprehensively.”

Meanwhile, Vic Rayner, chief executive of the National Care Forum, commented: “Disappointingly this Conservative election manifesto leaves social care firmly in the shadows. Despite the millions receiving care, the 1.6 million working in care and the estimated 10 million unpaid carers, the detail about social care stretches to a meagre 13 lines in the printed document, and no mention whatsoever in the PM’s speech.

“The main thrust involves restating the previously promised, and repeatedly delayed, cap on care costs and workforce reforms as featured in the ‘People at the Heart of Care’.

“Announcements surrounding the reduction in National Insurance seem particularly ironic in relation to social care, where less than three years ago, increases in this very tax had been presented as the lifeline to address all the challenges facing social care. Roll forward a budget or two, and instead of increasing this tax, the political ambition centres around removing it altogether.

“It is of concern that the proposals to reduce taxes seem predicated on a pledge to make £12 billion worth of cuts to welfare and benefits, which often represent a fundamental support to people who are receiving care and support.

“While the policy intent may not be focussed on this cohort, the rhetoric surrounding this has the potential to negatively impact people
with learning disabilities and/or autism and those with physical disabilities – many of whom access benefits in order to work and live independently.

“The only new and welcome measure that shows even the slightest acknowledgement that there are urgent pressures in system, is the pledge to give local authorities a multi-year funding settlement. We need to see more detail on this.”

She concluded: “It’s vital that people drawing on care are given the opportunity to add their perspectives to election manifesto announcements. We are working with our members to gather together the reactions of people who draw on care and support which will give a strong indication of where parties are doing things right and where others are falling short.”