A COUNCIL spending 42 per cent of its budget on social care for elderly and vulnerable people is calling for an urgent and long term solution to the problems from the government.

North Yorkshire County Council spends around £186m a year on adult social care and warns this year it's expecting to be £3m overspent. The authority has one of the highest numbers of elderly residents in the country with 140,000 over 65's out of a population of 600,000 and 19,000 aged over 85, with dramatic increases expected in the future.

A major consultation on adult social care has been launched by the government through a Green Paper and the county council says it has to address the mounting concerns.

They've already asked for fairer funding for rural areas through the budget, the county council is in the process of cutting around £174m, nearly a third of it's spending, by 2020, because of government reductions in funding. This year the authority was allowed £5m extra through council tax for adult social care but they're calling for greater commitment.

“We urgently need a long-term and sustainable solution for the care of older and vulnerable people," said County Councillor Michael Harrison, Executive Member for Adult Social care. "The announcement in March of an extra £19m over three years, to support work with the NHS and stabilise the care market is welcome but needs to become a long term commitment. The social care precept has also helped to give some relief but this only goes part way to meet our cost pressures.

“We therefore back the Government’s review of council funding and we welcome the chance to respond to the Government’s Green Paper on adult social care, setting out the challenges we face.

“The County is fortunate to have high employment levels but this makes it very difficult to attract people to work in the social care sector, whether that’s in the County Council or in voluntary or independent sector care organisations. Ensuring that the care sector is an attractive place to work is one of our top priorities.”

Richard Webb, Director for Health and Adult Services said issues over carers also need to be addressed, up to 60,000 people in the county care for a relative or friend. He added “We continue to invest in prevention to help people have a better quality of life but funding pressures mean even this work will be squeezed without fundamental changes to the adult social care system.”