Plans to release pressure on Notts adult social care after it almost reached ‘breaking point’

Coun Ben Bradley, Nottinghamshire Council leader and Mansfield MP, said adult social care services have had a ‘hell of a time’.

He spoke as the Conservative-led administration passed its budget plans.

The Labour Group put forward an amended budget, which committed to accelerating increased minimum pay for care workers to £9.75, up from the current rate of £8.91.

The Conservatives said they are investing £355,000 to make eight social care and community care officer posts permanent. They will also make 52 social care posts permanent to increase capacity for hospital discharge.

Funding will also go towards domestic abuse services and funding will be used to prevent mental health deterioration and funding was secured for a service to reduce waiting times for people waiting for an autism diagnosis.

Coun Bradley said: “What I want residents to know is your council services will not be standing still, your council tax will not be managing decline, we are going to tackle these challenges head-on and our residents are at the heart of it.”

Level best

Coun Boyd Elliott said: “We have done our level best to manage staff shortages and respond to public demand.

“The emergence of the Omicron variant has seen services stretch to almost breaking point due to staff sickness and recruitment and retention difficulties.

“This resulted in a waiting list for some of our services which has never previously existed.”

Counr Paul Henshaw, Labour member for Mansfield West, who works in the care sector, said: “One of the biggest problems we’ve got is recruitment and retention of care staff.

“We had six vacancies a few weeks ago that were advertised and pushed forward. Two people were selected, nobody turned up.

“There is a definite problem in relation to recruitment and retention because of rates of pay.

“People in the job are having to work 50, 60 and sometimes 70 hours a week to make ends meet. That’s going to get worse because of the cost of living rises.

“If we don’t address that problem we will be kicking the situation into the long grass.”

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