4 in 10 who needed social care support during the pandemic didn't access it

A recent study suggests that 4-in-10 people who may have been in need of social care did not access it during the pandemic.

The report, by Dr Simon Williams of Swansea University and commissioned by Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament), explored public attitudes and experiences of social care in Wales two years on from the start of the pandemic.

The report found that the COVID-19 pandemic hit social care hard, exacerbating the social care crisis, and intensifying pressure on the workforce.

The study finds:

• A significant proportion (4-in-10) of people who felt that they or someone in their household/close family needed social care during the past two years did not receive or make use of it.

• The pandemic was cited as a major reason why many of those who may have needed social care didn’t access it - either because they were “afraid of catching Covid” or because they didn’t want to add extra burden on stretched social care services. Other common reasons for why people didn’t seek or receive social care included: A lack of availability or staff shortages; being deemed ineligible or otherwise not being offered care; Not wanting to ask for help; and The application or access processes being too complex.

• Satisfaction with social care was variable, with approximately one-third either very or quite dissatisfied and a little over half either very or quite satisfied with social care services for themselves or a household or close family member.

• The vast majority of respondents felt that the social care system in Wales was in need of reform (86%), and that reforming the social care system should be a priority for the UK and Welsh Governments (94%).

• Nearly all (95%) participants felt that social care should be valued in the same way as health care, and that social care workers should be seen as equal to health care workers. Most participants agreed that social care staff should have comparable pay, working conditions and career progression opportunities relative to equivalent career stage NHS staff.

• Respondents felt that a career in social care was not very attractive – both to them personally, or to others in general.

The research involved a survey of 2569 respondents in Wales February and March 2022, as well as online focus groups.

The need for more consistency, personalisation, integration, recognition and investment in social care were all themes that emerged in the focus groups.

Specifically, participants argued that there was a need for more consistency in the social care received, a need for more personalised care, a need for better integration between health and social care; and a need for more investment in social care. Some felt that reform should see the integration of social care into the NHS, while others argued for the establishment of a separate ‘National Care Service’.

Dr Williams said: “It is concerning that approximately 4-in-10 of those feeling in need of social care did not receive or make use of social care services.

"Social care policymakers and providers should seek to understand and address what people feel are the main barriers to accessing or using social care, including: increasing provision for those who need it; encouraging and enabling those who feel they need social care to apply (and working to de-stigmatise social care); consider broadening the eligibility criteria where appropriate; simplifying and providing more support for applying to/accessing social care.

“As with healthcare services, another challenge for social care services may the need to address a potential backlog in those needing care, who were either unable to access services due to restrictions or staff shortages, or did not want to apply because they were concerned about infection risk or did not want to “bother” services.”