We all have a responsibility at an individual, family, and community level to identify people in need of care such as loneliness, and provide support to improve their health and wellbeing. This is a difficult issue as there is no single solution that can tackle loneliness, but I personally believe that it is useful to have and employ a range of solutions to help our country’s most vulnerable people. This is an issue I am working with No.10 on as it is an issue that affects many hundreds of my constituents.
To address this issue, I am reassured in knowing that the UK has local commissioners responsible for ensuring that health services match the needs of the population. Since 2012, local authorities have been expected to identify areas where older people suffer most acutely from loneliness to allow them to tackle the growing problem of social isolation and its harmful effects. Further to this, the Department of Health has also supported the development of a 'digital toolkit' for local commissioners, created by the Campaign to End Loneliness, to support them in understanding and commissioning services to tackle loneliness and social isolation in their communities.
I am further pleased to say that the Government has funded the Social Care Institute for Excellence to develop and run the Prevention Library, which includes examples of how to prevent, reduce or delay people's care and support needs from deteriorating. Through the Government’s support, local authorities can now learn from emerging practice, and exchange ideas and experience of the impact that information, advice and befriending services can have on tackling loneliness.
Though the health and wellbeing of the people are always area of concern, I am reassured by knowing that the Government recognises the current pressures facing social care in local areas. Thus, I am in full support of the Government’s decision to give local authorities greater funding and flexibility so that they will have access to up to an additional £3.5 billion by 2020, providing a real terms increase in funding by the end of this Parliament.
I would like to assure you that I am doing everything in my power to ensure the Government continues to uphold its commitment to our country’s most vulnerable people.