A PETERSFIELD charity that supports those with learning disabilities says a £2 billion social care cash injection is “simply not enough.”

FitzRoy chief executive Anna Galliford says the extra government money is nowhere near enough to resolve a growing crisis in the sector.

In his Spring budget on Wednesday, March 8, Chancelllor Phillip Hammond said the money would be spread over three years.

FitzRoy of Hylton Road is just one care provider saying there should be a fundamental review of the way health and social care is provided and paid for.

Anna said: “This £2 billion is simply not enough; the significant challenges facing providers will not be addressed until the government gets behind a fundamental review into health and social care.”

And she insists that a review can only resolve the care crisis if the voluntary sector care providers are involved, rather than ignored as in the past.

She said: “This shockingly short-sighted approach and funding cuts, are leading to the growing crisis.

“Charity sector providers, though often cheaper, more innovative, and preferred, are paid hourly rates as low as £12.50.

“This is hardly covers basic needs, yet we must also pay for necessary quality systems which require complex audit trails.

“We are scrabbling to pay for new workforce legislation, the living wage, auto enrolment, sleep in, and travel time payments, offer a fairer settlement for staff.

“But without the necessary funding this becomes another overwhelming pressure on costs which some providers simply cannot meet.

“All of us desperately want to reward our staff fairly, but we are now cutting from a bone already stripped bare.

“If we are to do more than simply plaster over the cracks we urgently need a long-term funding plan.

“We must fundamentally rethink regulation, commissioning, and provision, and look at where the system fails to drive efficiency and layers further bureaucracy on to an overstretched sector.

“In a declining funding regime it is imperative we work collaboratively and creatively to provide sustainable and excellent support to the people we exist to help.”