Extreme heat drives social care need, says council

Extreme heat over the summer saw a rise in adults requesting social care services which resulted in a larger bill than previously expected, a council said.

Peterborough City Council said it anticipated exceeding its social care budget by £8.9m this year, up from a £7.9m overspend forecast just weeks ago.

The authority said it had drawn up its budget on the assumption it would support about 1,500 adults with residential, nursing or community care, but this figure was now closer to 2,000.

It said very hot weather could "worsen existing health conditions and increase care and support needs".

Other factors cited in a Peterborough City Council report included the lower than average healthy life expectancy in the city and an overall rise in population.

Pushpa Gunasekara, the director of home care company Caremark in Peterborough, said extreme temperatures could "create additional challenges for vulnerable individuals", but added that rising demand in care services was a "wider, longer-term issue that cannot be attributed to heatwaves alone".

"One of the biggest challenges for the sector is ensuring that increasing demand is matched by adequate funding, a skilled and stable workforce and timely access to appropriate support," she said.

The sharpest rise in demand for social care at Peterborough City Council was in the 18–25 age category, although numbers remained lower overall than in other groups.

The authority said changes in education were a "significant trigger" for this, with many colleges reducing their timetables from five days to three.

A report added there were "limited employment opportunities" for young people.

Jess Slater, the chief executive of patient advocacy group Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said she wanted to see a more "joined-up" approach across health, specialist services and social care.

"We hear how much difference responsive staff and personalised support can make when care is managed well," she said.

Peterborough City Council said it was "reviewing respite, day opportunities and education provisions" and supporting carers.

It added that while there has been a "sharp and relatively sudden" increase in demand for social care, this was "not a short-term spike, but a shift to a higher demand baseline, particularly amongst working-age adults".

The authority said an additional £13.7m has been factored into the social care budget for next year, rising to £17.8m the following year.

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