Jeremy Hunt, please don’t exclude people with learning disabilities from your thinking – they are ready to talk

Yesterday’s major social care speech by Jeremy Hunt was notable for several reasons – not least because this was his first major speech addressing social care that anyone I’ve spoken to could remember.

First the positives: it did feel like a long overdue attempt to more clearly link together housing, social and health policy. He announced a workforce strategy encompassing both health and social care.

There was a welcome commitment to personalisation and personal budgets – and to help realise this, there was talk of integrating health and social care commissioning, planning and budgets. The seven guiding principles are fine – who could argue they are not relevant.

There was also a more explicit recognition than I expected on the scope for improvement and the scale of the challenge. And I for one very much welcome his acknowledging the value of a ratings systems for care commissioners similar to that for providers.

And then there are bits which may seem reasonable, but you’re left wondering whether it may be a signal to something else in the future: The acknowledgement of the difference in the government’s duty and responsibility between people who have been disabled since birth or acquired a disability and those who are of retirement age and those who become un-well.

Seems reasonable – but what does this really mean when coupled with clear language about pooling resources and shared responsibility and a partnership between state and individual.

But what wasn’t said? I’m writing this on the day of the announcement of a three year 6.5% pay deal for the NHS – funded by the Treasury dipping its hand into its coffers and funding it.

I welcomed his acknowledgement of the need for a greater recognition of the value of the fantastic work done by social care staff day-in day-out. As one of my colleagues put it – he paid it a little more than lip-service.

There wasn’t a clear recognition that more money is required – there wasn’t anything that pointed towards behind the scenes arm-wrestling with the Chancellor. Based on today’s news, he’s proved he can win such battles.

By raising the issue of the disparity between the costs to the individual of cancer versus dementia or senility perhaps he’s paving the way towards state resources being allocated so that people with social care needs are treated commensurately with those with health needs. If so I’m assuming that is a levelling up and not down.

And the unanswered? Although there was a nod to disability at the outset, the entirety of the speech then referenced older people’s services. So we still don’t know how social care for working age adults will be considered in the much vaunted parallel process to the forthcoming Green Paper.

Mr Hunt, you have some interesting ideas. You didn’t fail the audition to be Steve Scown’s Prince Charming, but you didn’t pass it either. Please don’t exclude people with learning and other disabilities from your thinking – they are ready to talk.