Melanie Weatherley, CEO of Leading Lincolnshire home care provider Walnut Care, has welcomed calls for a long-awaited increase in funding for home care providers.

Today (25^th October) the UK Home Care Association published a report detailing the lack of funding available to home care staff and how this affects the ability to service the industry.

The report – UK Homecare Deficit – suggests that £921 million is needed to ensure that home care workers benefit from a ‘Real Living Wage’ and that home care services are financially sustainable.

Melanie Weatherley, CEO of Walnut Care and Chair of the Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCA), commented: “This report has been well timed. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care recently announced an emergency £240 million of social care investment to ease pressure on the NHS this winter, and the UK celebrated Homecare Day 2018 yesterday.

“Unfortunately, this has been a long-standing issue. Home care providers work tirelessly to improve the wellbeing of older people, but the financial support is not there to allow us to meet demand which means there are people out there not getting the care they need.

“Progress is very slow. For example, the report shows that the average price paid for home care in the UK has increased by only 10.6%, or £1.54 per hour, over a two-year period. We should be working together to address these issues and government bodies must start viewing private home care providers as a long-term solution.

“This report reinforces the need for home care to be funded in a sustainable way. I look forward to the publication of the government’s Green Paper on social care for older people, which will hopefully map out a support system for sustainable home care.”

Melanie is Chair of the Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCA) and represents independent and voluntary providers of care and support to adults. She is also Co-chair of the Care Association Alliance and heads up Walnut Care, Lincolnshire’s leading home care provider.