Successive governments have failed to solve the crisis of social care, says Burnham, who thinks the government’s election promise breaking announcement today to raise taxes to pay for care are ‘a flawed, unfair policy’ that will not ‘stand the test of time’ and will prevent integration of health and social care under the NHS.
Wigan care home records most Covid-19 deaths in England
A care home in Wigan has recorded the most deaths due to Covid-19, over a year, of any care home in England, according to data released by the Care Quality Commission. Care homes recording the highest number of Covid deaths in each Greater Manchester borough are presented.
Social home care workers being underpaid, despite councils’ promises to pay living wage
Investigation into social home care pay rates across the UK shows that jobs are being advertised below the real living wage (RLW) despite councils signing up to UNISON’S ethical charter committing them to paying at least that rate.
Trafford council and Manchester council respond to accusations that home care workers are being underpaid in their jurisdictions.
Reshaping ownership within adult social care
Adult social care is broken. After years of marketisation and outsourcing we are left with a service where large market players dominate. Taxpayers’ money, and the savings of older people, are being extracted out of the system for shareholder gain.
The Centre for Local Economic Strategies have published a report on the issues involved.
The report’s author, Tom Lloyd Goodwin, reflects on how ownership models must be shifted to fix that broken system.
Francis House: supporting children, with life-limiting conditions, and their families
As the only children’s hospice in Greater Manchester, Francis House gives families the peace of mind and support to help children with serious health conditions and provide end of life care when they need it.
Conditions that led to the Covid-19 crisis in social care
Salford Council have guaranteed full pay for care workers isolating because of Covid-19 under ‘The Salford Offer’. Now the council and UNISON are pressing private care homes to take up the policy, with the mayor and a local MP leading protests.
Lemn Sissay on his new memoir ‘My Name Is Why’
Lemn Sissay, award-winning and internationally acclaimed poet, was stolen from his birth mother and given to a foster family. He was thrown out by his foster parents at the age of 12 and sent to several children’s homes. He has written a memoir to tell his story of loss and healing, and he spoke to […]
Mayoral candidate Will Patterson proposes a green future for Greater Manchester
Will Patterson proposes a green future for Greater Manchester (GM) in his bid to become the first elected mayor of the region on the 4 May 2017, replacing the current interim mayor Tony Lloyd. Patterson answers questions previously posed to four other major mayoral candidates: Andy Burnham (Labour Party), Sean Anstee (Conservative Party), Shneur Odze […]
Mayoral candidates for Greater Manchester on the health and social care crisis
Headlines reporting on the increasing severity of problems faced by our health and social care systems are coming thick and fast, offering a bleak view for the future of the services within Greater Manchester and across the UK. One of the latest reports shows that A&E patients in England seen below the four hour threshold […]
Spending £110m on The Factory arts centre is wrong while cuts to public services continue
The Factory arts centre, predicted to cost £110 million, being given the go ahead by Manchester city councillors provides a high profile expansion of Manchester’s cultural opportunities that will no doubt produce, perform and exhibit excellent work. However at a time when the region is experiencing austerity driven shortages in social care, health and housing […]