Smarter spending for better care: ten ideas to make better use of social care funding for older people and carers

With the budgetary pressures facing local authorities in England, it is important to identify how better value for money could be achieved from current spending on social care. The drive for efficiencies should not be at the detriment of older people with care and support needs and their families and carers. This document provides 10 ideas to make better use of current social care funding while improving quality of care and experiences for older people and their carers. It argues that better value for money could be achieved by re-focusing resources on: providing easily accessible advice, information and advocacy; recognising the key role that families and carers play; specialist independent financial advice; supporting people to stay or move where they want to be in later life; integration of housing, health and care; new technology (telecare and telehealth); personalisation (making sure care is focused on the person); prevention, early intervention and homechecks; volunteering and intergenerational work; and dementia drugs and treatments. These ideas could result in the delivery of better care at the same time as saving up to £3 billion.