Pleas for more money to fund social care are “falling on deaf ears”, according to the council.
Bosses say the amount of funding given to Worcestershire County Council to look after vulnerable adults is not enough.
But lobbying efforts aren’t necessarily having the desired effect.
At a meeting of the council’s adult care and well-being overview and scrutiny panel, Councillor Nik Price asked what lobbying is taking place as financial settlements from the government are “not enough”.
SOCIAL CARE: Those caring for adults are facing “significant” financial challenges, say councillors (Image: Irene Miller/Getty)
Mel Allcott, cabinet member for adult social care, said: “I agree – it’s nowhere near enough and we have significant challenges.
“There is lobbying going on but to be honest some of it seems to be falling on deaf ears.”
Mark Fitton, strategic director for adults and communities, said Worcestershire is “continually involved in lobbying” through West Midlands ADASS, which represents the 14 directors running adult social care services for councils across the region.
“We do whatever we can in relation to changes we’d like to see,” said Mr Fitton.
“But overall there is very little wriggle room to avoid the costs we have.”
Cllr Allcott also said she was “delighted” with the CQC report published in May that rated Worcestershire’s adult social care services as ‘good’.
Mr Fitton said the report did identify two areas that require improvement and there would be “no resting on laurels”.
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Kerry McCrossan, assistant director of adult social care, said an improvement plan is being drafted, but staff are not sitting back waiting for this to be finished and are “targeting quick wins”, although she added that “resources are really tight”.
According to agenda papers, there was a £17.6m overspend in adult services in the 2025/26 financial year.
The cost of placements went up by £21.4m and was partially offset by staffing underspends because of vacant posts.
Senior finance business partner Richard Stocks said the area with the highest level of overspend was learning difficulties, with supported living accounting for the majority of a £10m overspend.
Mr Stocks said funding disputes cost the council £2m.
“We had an estimation that we were going to get money back from partners and other healthcare organisations,” he told the panel.
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“We’ve had funding disputes over two clients over multiple years and they cost us £2m.
“We thought we were going to get the money back – after long conversations with our legal colleagues it was deemed unlikely that we were.
“Being prudent, we’ve said we aren’t going to get that cash back,” he said, but added: “We are still working to get that money back.
“So if we do that’s going to benefit us [in the future].”
