In response to the CQC’s annual report into the State of Care, Tim Cooper, Chief Executive at United Response, said:

“The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) State of Care report into health and social care rightly highlights that overall quality has largely been maintained in the face of significant challenges. The social care sector is one that the UK can rightly be proud of and the report highlights the year-on-year improvements that have occurred. However, these achievements are increasingly at serious risk.

“Of particular concern is the continued fragility of the adult social care market. Providers are ceasing to trade, local government funding is being slashed and contracts are being handed back to local authorities. This runs contrary to the positive vision for social care set out in the Care Act only four years ago.

“The sector’s workforce is its greatest asset. It is thanks to dedicated and skilled care workers across the country that people we support continue to benefit from quality social care, enabling them to live independent, fulfilled lives in their local communities. Significant investment is required to ensure that providers can offer the right pay and conditions to reflect the value and impact of social care workers.

“The report highlights that there remain big concerns about inequalities in access to healthcare for people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions. Clear answers are needed from Government on how it intends to ensure that the pockets of good care across the country become the bedrock of mainstream practice.

“The Government’s long-delayed Green Paper on the future of health and social care simply must bring forward sustainable solutions that take note of this crucial assessment of our health and social care services.”