Foreword by Helen Whately MP

As so many of us know first-hand, the pressures facing adult social care year-round become even more acute during the winter period. I also know, from my conversations with stakeholders, that there are additional pressures being felt right across the country this year, which are making an already challenging season even harder to navigate.

These include ongoing obstacles to recruiting and retaining our excellent social care staff, concerns about keeping the heating on during the colder months or making sure individuals most at risk are protected from COVID-19 and flu.

The government is committed to making sure those providing and accessing care are prepared and supported to manage these demands. I am, therefore, pleased to announce the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) adult social care winter statement to support this shared endeavour.

The statement sets out the initiatives DHSC is putting in place to support the sector through winter 2022 to 2023, as well as a reminder of the principal actions local systems and providers can take to maximise sector resilience. It is aimed at care providers, local authorities, integrated care systems, carers and social care staff.

NHS England will continue to support systems to deliver work within care home settings, including provision of holistic health assessments and personalised care and support plans to residents within 7 days of admission or readmission to a care home.

Further, 2-hour urgent community response services and the roll-out of community-based falls response services across the country will help prevent ambulance call-outs and avoidable hospital admissions and accelerate the treatment of people’s urgent care needs in the community. NHS England has also asked systems to work with their care homes with the highest number of ambulance call-outs to help improve responsiveness.

The measures set out below, combined with the support DHSC and the NHS provide all year round, reaffirm our commitment to those who draw on care and those who provide it. I am sure the winter statement contains many actions, obligations and processes you already have underway. I continue to be inspired every day by your commitment and dedication to providing the best care to people across all care settings. I am proud to represent your needs, concerns and aspirations as Minister of State for Social Care.

I look forward to us continuing to work together throughout the winter period and beyond. Thank you for all that you do.

Helen Whately MP, Minister of State for Social Care

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