Care leaders across the UK have outlined areas the Government need to address in this autumn’s social care green paper.

The comments by care leaders are a response to a consultation launched by the Local Government Association (LGA) in July.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said: “While we welcome this initiative, the instability of the care market carries on unchecked.

“The Government must address the urgency of the care crisis as otherwise all the promises of the Green Paper become rather academic.

“Care England’s analysis shows councils are struggling, with 37% unable to use their Adult Social Care Precept option next year and one in five councils who told us about their fee levels gave no inflation rise to prices paid for nursing care home placements in 2018/19.”

John Woodward, OBE and Busy Bees founder once again emphasised his call for the introduction of an adult social care voucher scheme to help solve the industry’s funding gap.

Mr Woodward has been campaigning for the scheme since early 2017.

He said: “What is needed is a practical approach that puts the individual and top-quality care first.

“Adult social care vouchers would allow taxpayers of all incomes to set aside only what they can afford and accumulate enough over a working lifetime that they do not have to be out of pocket when they need social care, and do not have to make painful decisions, such as selling their home to fund services they desperately need.”