Liverpool Council Approves £2.3m Fund for Adult Social Care as Demand Pressures Mount

Liverpool City Council voted 47 to 12 on Thursday to approve a new £2.3 million investment in adult social care services, marking the largest single budget commitment to the sector in three years. The allocation will fund expanded home care hours, training for care workers, and grants to independent housing providers serving residents aged 65 and older across the city.

The vote came after two hours of debate in which councillors heard from representatives of local care organisations and disability advocates. The fund targets a specific problem: NHS discharge data released by the council in May showed that 340 older Liverpool residents waited an average of 14 days for care packages after hospital stays, compared to the England average of 9 days. Adult social care demand in the city has grown by 11 percent over two years, according to the council's own needs assessment published in April.

What the money pays for

The £2.3 million breaks down into three components. Home care agencies will receive £1.1 million to increase staffing and shift their operations from twice-daily visits to flexible hourly support for residents managing complex conditions like dementia or mobility loss. Supported housing providers, including two sheltered complexes in Toxteth and Woolton, will access £800,000 to upgrade facilities and hire additional support workers. A final £400,000 funds a training scheme for care workers seeking National Vocational Qualification level 3 qualifications, a recognised pathway into permanent employment in the sector.

For residents, this means shorter waiting times for home care after discharge from Royal Liverpool University Hospital or Broadgreen Hospital. The supported housing investment affects approximately 280 older people currently living in council-funded schemes. Local care provider representatives said the expanded training scheme could help address chronic staff turnover, which runs at 19 percent annually in Liverpool's care sector compared to 16 percent nationally, according to Skills for Care analysis cited by the council.

The gap remains

Several local advocacy groups expressed reservations. Age UK Merseyside and the Liverpool Disability Advice Centre submitted written statements to the council noting that the allocation, while welcome, still leaves a shortfall. The council's own impact assessment, filed with the budget approval, identified unmet need for approximately 80 additional home care hours per week across the city. Providers also flagged that wage pressures in the care sector mean the money may not stretch as far as hoped. The National Living Wage rose to £12.20 per hour in April, a 9.8 percent increase that care agencies said erodes purchasing power.

The vote also approved a companion motion requiring the council to lobby the Department of Health and Social Care for increased funding through the Adult Social Care Precept, a council tax measure that allows local authorities to raise additional revenue. The motion passed with cross-party support, 52 to 7. Liverpool has not exercised the precept since 2022.

The council said it expects the £2.3 million programme to begin accepting applications from care providers on 1 August. The first tranches of funding will flow by 15 September. A review is scheduled for February 2027.