Official adult social care statistics released

NHS Digital has published three reports which include the latest statistics on the safeguarding and care of vulnerable adults in England. 

• Safeguarding Adults Annual Report, England 2015-16 - contains information about safeguarding referrals, which were opened and/or concluded during the reporting period.
• Measures from the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF), England - 2015-163 - reports on how well care and support services provided by the adult social care system achieve the outcomes that matter most to people involved in delivering high-quality, personalised care and support.
• Community Care Statistics: Social Services Activity, England 2015-16 - contains information taken from council administrative systems used to record the process of assessing eligibility for state-funded social care and providing services where people are eligible.

To read the reports visit:

http://content.digital.nhs.uk/article/7433/Three-reports-providing-official-adult-social-care-statistics-released-by-NHS-Digital-today

Dr Simon Duffy, Director of the Centre for Welfare Reform noted:

"In 2015 the Government changed the data collection system for adult social care. The figures are now far more confused and it is harder to see the long-term impact of cuts social care. It seems likely that this was the real reason why the system was changed. Nevertheless the pattern is clear and the cuts continue. In 2009 1.8 million people received social care and this figure had fallen to 1.3 million by 2013 (a cut of 27%). Today we know that less than 0.8 million adults get long term care. Overall the cut in numbers seems to be somewhere in the region of 40% or even more. We have never seen such a severe cut to any vital public service, not have we seen such a significant failure of the political system to defend disabled and older people from this sustained assault on their basic human rights."