RISING demand for adult social care services in Coventry is being caused by an ageing population, spiralling costs and more people with mental illness needing long-term support, according to a new report.
Coventry City Council will publish its 2022-23 adult social care report next week, highlighting the issues the service is facing and setting out the steps the authority aims to take to improve the situation.
In 2022/23 the Council spent £118.8million across its adult social care services, compared to £110.4million in 2021/22.
It added this increase was largely driven by a growth in demand and complexity alongside increases in costs driven by high levels of inflation.
The report said in the decade to 2029, the city should expect to have an additional 8,900 people aged over 65 and an additional 2,000 people aged over 85.
Other concerns included the legacy of Covid-19, which the report said had resulted in more adults with mental illness needing to access long-term support.
The report further claimed the increasing costs of care are being caused by external factors including the national living wage, increases to employer pension contributions, other inflation costs and people needing more complex care.
Unpaid carers who have been seeing their roles intensify were also a highlighted concern, as the report revealed they have been placed under increased pressures, impacting their emotional and physical health.
And the report said people appeared to be approaching social care at a later stage in their care journey than would normally have been the case.
The council’s cabinet member for adult services, Coun Linda Bigham, said: “The real experiences of people and families are vitally important to document in the report because everyone has their own very specific needs.
“It’s encouraging to hear positive feedback, but we know that there is lots to do to make improvements that last.”
The authority’s Cabinet will review the report at a meeting on Tuesday, October 3.
