Below is Care for the Carers’ response to the East Sussex County Council Adult Social Care and Health savings consultation, submitted on 28th November 2024:
28th November 2024
Dear ESCC colleagues,
Re: ESCC funding gap consultations
I write in response to the 11 current consultations on Adult Social Care and Health savings proposals, on behalf of carers in East Sussex, the East Sussex VCS Carers Network and Care for the Carers. Please consider this letter a response to each individual consultation, as well as collectively. We have encouraged carers and partners from VCSE carers services to respond in their own right; additionally, the views they have shared with us have shaped this response, as well as Care for the Carers’ own experience as the Carers Centre for East Sussex and strategic partner to the council.
We wish to note that the council has recognised the significant role that carers play in the health and social care economy in the development and presentation of these proposals. Specifically, we welcomed the clear recognition given to the need to protect carers’ services to in turn prevent carer breakdown and the associated costs this would bring to the health and social care system. We also value highly the open dialogue that you have maintained with the third sector and ongoing commitment to coproduction with both the sector and Care for the Carers. We absolutely recognise the significant financial pressures that ESCC is facing, and understand that there are no easy or comfortable choices in the current context. We also know that ESCC officers understand that changes to service delivery at the proposed scale will come with significant consequences for some of the most vulnerable residents in East Sussex, and we valued the honest reflection of this in the consultation information.
That said, we must put on record our deep concern in respect of the impact of these proposals on vulnerable people in East Sussex and their carers. We do understand that, quite rightly, statutory duties under the Care Act will be honoured. However, each of the 11 proposals will affect unpaid carers in multiple ways, including:
• Reducing their ability to take a break from their caring role.
A lack of access to breaks / respite is already one of the most challenging aspects of caring in East Sussex, which carers consistently tell us significantly reduces their wellbeing and increases the likelihood of carer breakdown.
• Increasing the likelihood of carers being unable to maintain employment.
Changes in service times/days of day service provision are key risks to carers being able to negotiate or maintain flexible working with their employers.
• Reducing carers’ financial wellbeing.
Being able to maintain employment is vital to carers’ ability to maintain choices, independence and financial wellbeing. The proposals will jeopardise this.
• Reducing carers’ health and wellbeing.
As described in the consultation information, the proposed changes will be stressful for both service users and their carers, and will destabilise caring arrangements, impacting on carers’ wellbeing.
In addition, the following aspects of the proposals are particularly worrying:
• Drug and Alcohol services – Carers Service provided by Adfam.
We are very concerned about the proposal that funding for this service should end. The service supports a large number of carers, by providing a high standard of specialist support. This could not be absorbed into general carers services, as appears to be implied in the consultation information. Firstly, the specialism offered by Adfam, the current provider, does not exist within the general Carers Centre offer, or our other partner carers’ services. Secondly, general carers’ services are already delivering at levels over and above funded capacity. In addition, we are aware that many of this group of carers are kinship carers, caring for both an adult child or relative who uses drugs and/or alcohol, and their child / children, and already a particularly underserved group.
• Drug and Alcohol services – Seaview projects.
These projects provide an invaluable support to general carers’ services, in particular enabling us to refer carers with the most complex caring roles on for specialist support. This in turn enables Care for the Carers to support the caring role to become more manageable, reducing carer breakdown.
• Floating Support Service
These services are vital for carers at risk of homelessness and are a key support for us in enabling some of the carers with the most complex caring roles to continue caring.
We have noted that the council intends to implement mitigations to the impact of the proposals. Can you provide further information on preventative measures that are in place, or envisaged, should the proposed cuts to service delivery go ahead? We would also expect to be included in coproducing these to ensure that carers voices are represented, as well as our own insights and experience and that of our partners within the East Sussex VCS Carers Network.
We also wish to echo the East Sussex VCSE Alliance request not to overlook any opportunities the proposals might provide to communities, in particular in respect of community assets that could support us and our partners to bring creative solutions to affected communities.
We are wholly committed to continuing to work in partnership with ESCC, including coproducing solutions to support local carers throughout the extremely financially challenging time ahead. That said, we must be transparent about the future capacity of Care for the Carers and our VCSE partners. We are concerned that this will not be sufficient to pick up the shortfall these proposals will create, but welcome opportunities to work with the council to mitigate as far as is possible the detrimental effect of the financial pressures on carers and those they care for.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Twist
CEO – Care for the Carers
