Social care bosses have written to the prime minister urging her to invest at least £1bn to stave off a growing crisis in services for elderly and disabled people and relieve pressure on the NHS.
The intervention comes amid fears that while May is poised to invest up to £6bn extra in the NHS to mark its 70th anniversary, social care will be ignored, despite acknowledgement that health service fortunes are closely linked to those of social care.
Earlier this week Adass warned that the social care market in parts of England was close to collapse after years of cuts, potentially leaving thousands of vulnerable adults without care. Since 2010, council social care budgets have shrunk by £7bn.
Ministers last year provided an extra £2.6bn over three years for council social care budgets through a combination of grants and a special ringfenced council tax precept. But councils say this provided only temporary relief.
Nearest tube: Elephant & Castle underground station (Northern and Bakerloo lines).
Nearest Railway Station: Elephant & Castle
Buses from Elephant and Castle: ask bus driver for Burgess Park. Bus numbers: 12, 171, 148, 176, 68, 484, 42, 40, 45