Shock as nearly 10 per cent of South Devon care homes below standard

Nearly ten per cent of care homes in South Devon have been identified as not up to scratch.

South Devon MP Caroline Voaden has called for the government to complete their social care review within the year after shocking new research by the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, shows that 7.7 per cent of care homes were rated as ‘requires improvement’.

This news comes at a difficult time for the social care sector, with many providers set to be hit by the government’s increases on employer NICs. Rowcroft Hospice in Torquay, for instance, will have to raise a further £225,000 to cover these additional costs.

At the same time, the social care crisis has continued to spiral out of control, with demand far outstripping supply. Half of Devon County Council’s budget is now dedicated towards supporting adults in need, while Brixham has seen two care homes close in recent years.

Local Liberal Democrat MP, Caroline Voaden, said that the figures showed that “people are not getting the quality of care they deserve” and called on the government to complete their social care review by the end of the year, currently slated to be finished in 2028, as “people cannot afford to wait for the can to be kicked down the road anymore.”

Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden said: “As with everywhere in the UK, social care in South Devon is in crisis. Today, Age UK estimates 2.6 million people aged over 50 cannot access the support they need, and the postcode lottery remains as severe as ever, somewhere that is particularly severe in rural areas like South Devon.

“The human costs of this are horrendous. Across the country, people are being denied basic dignities, with many ending up in hospital as a result, adding pressure on our already overstretched NHS.

“Everyone affected by this crisis was waiting for the government’s plan on social care—and I’m sure what they heard last week was a huge disappointment. Their social care review shows none of the urgency required. We cannot afford to wait for the can to be kicked down the road anymore.

“By 2028 there is a real chance that social care in South Devon will have simply stopped functioning. This review must be completed within the next 12 months and the Liberal Democrats will continue to push the government until this is delivered.”

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