Mathew Wills and Caroline Glendinning argue that COVID-19 is increasing the political cost of sticking with the social care status quo, and highlights the need for significantly higher and more sustainable funding. They explore what the sector could do to maximise the chances of achieving successful reform.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the government has announced 3.2bn in emergency social care funding for local government in England, and asked care providers to tackle the crisis in partnership with the NHS. Despite the crucial role played by staff and provider organisations, social care has suffered a decade of retrenchment driven by asymmetric austerity, rendering it severely underfunded. England actually faces two social care funding crises the recent devastating impacts of austerity and the longer-term arrangements needed to improve access, quality, and sustainability in response to demographic changes. Moreover, the crisis is about more than the profound inequity of older people experiencing catastrophic costs; rather, it is about ensuring quality of life for people of all ages with additional support needs.

A window of opportunity?

Austerity has broken the English approach to social care funding and highlighted the structural problems inherent in the responsibilities of central and local government. The former continues to set overall policy, requiring greater consistency over quality and eligibility, but has increasingly relied on local government to raise the resources needed for implementation. These policies are pulling in different directions and risk increasing divergence between councils in the availability of funding. Moreover, without ring-fencing revenue, local authorities also have to balance demands for increased social care spending with their other statutory responsibilities; already social care takes a very substantial proportion of their discretionary budgets (41% in 2018).

Ideally, any funding solution needs to be popular, easily implementable, and not require too much policymaker energy to deliver. Critically, it also needs to overcome the political barriers widely assumed to be associated with increases in taxation and/or national insurance contributions. Unfortunately, no sustainable funding policy approach or institution with these characteristics currently exists. All of the alternatives are technically or politically problematic, so the amount of policymaker energy and political capital needed to implement change are high. At the same time, COVID-19 has demonstrated the profound vulnerability of English social care and so is likely to raise the political cost of sticking with the status quo. This could alter the reform dynamics and open a window of opportunity for significantly higher spending today and (perhaps) more sustainable care funding for the future.

Indeed, notwithstanding the large Conservative majority in the Commons, there is agreement across all parties that England has a systemic care funding problem. Together with a political environment that could become more favourable to reform, austerity is also likely to be off the agenda post-COVID-19, making a significant expansion in care spending become more likely. The policy community should thus capitalise on this opportunity, while simultaneously addressing structural changes to how funding for care is raised and distributed.

Completing the funding jigsaw

In Germany, policymakers responded in the 1990s to a similar care funding crisis by introducing mandatory, predominantly public social care insurance. The reforms were built and implemented relatively quickly by repurposing pre-existing institutions without having to replace those already operating. The German case shows there are more equitable and sustainable ways to fund social care, but England needs its own reform approach. While the market for private social care insurance has failed and England has a strong attachment to general taxation-funded welfare, there is nevertheless an English precedent for ring-fenced welfare funding. The SERPS earnings-related pension scheme operated for more than two decades as a mandatory public national insurance/private pension fund hybrid and evolved into the successful auto-enrolment pension scheme we have today.

How can this be done for social care? Elsewhere it has been suggested that social care and the NHS should be merged. However, rather than attempting major systemic and structural changes, the policy community should focus on embedding a new funding institution (with upward momentum as wages and the economy grow) into the fabric of the existing welfare state. Funding reform will need political champions, so building on existing proposals (such as here, here, and here) are good places to start. Replacing well-established institutions with new ones carries financial cost, political risk, and requires more policymaker involvement, so reforms that repurpose existing institutions and operate in parallel with existing funding approaches may be more successful.

A number of policy options and institutional arrangements are operating now or have already been explored at length by policymakers; these could be combined to create a comprehensive package of reforms that go with the institutional grain. Scotland has had Sutherlands free universal personal care for older people in place since 2002 (extended to working age people in 2019). Although the Dilnot Committees proposal for a lifetime care spending cap was eventually dropped because councils lacked the resources needed to manage the new claims it would have generated, it nevertheless retains support among policymakers. A PAYE payroll deduction infrastructure is also in place and could process public care insurance deductions; councils already assess eligibility for publicly-funded care and manage a means-tested safety net.

Using these existing building blocks, a significant immediate increase in funding could be delivered by introducing a ring-fenced public national insurance social care fund that would make the sector more robust and ensure that resources are allocated equitably across the country. The uplift could also allow policymakers to expand provision, implement UNISONs Ethical Care Charter for all care staff, and raise the per capita fees payable to care providers. It might even be able to finance a Dilnot care cap and free personal care for all. Crucially, a ring-fenced insurance fund like this would deliver rising funding over time. Without a mechanism that automatically increases funding, the crisis may be addressed in the short-term but, as policymaker attention wanes, care underfunding could well return.

_____________________

About the Authors

Mathew Wills holds a PhD from the Department of Politics at the University of York. His thesis is available here.

Caroline Glendinning is Emerita Professor of Social Policy, University of York.

All articles posted on this blog give the views of the author(s), and not the position of LSE British Politics and Policy, nor of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Featured image: Waldemar BrandtonUnsplash.

See the article here:
COVID-19 and social care funding: A window of opportunity for reform - British Politics and Policy at LSE

Police are appealing for information after a healthcare workers car was damaged and bags were stolen while she visited a petrol station in Mapperley.

Police said that the victim was waiting to be served in the shop at the Co-op filling station on Woodborough Road when a suspect smashed her car window with a brick before stealing three bags from her vehicle.

The incident happened at around 5.30pm on April 22, 2020.

PC Robin Gurney, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: Wed like to speak to the man pictured in connection with an incident of theft and criminal damage at a Mapperley petrol station.

This incident was distressing for the victim and a massive inconvenience, with her car being her means of transport to work and the expense of having to replace her car window.

If you recognise the man pictured or think you can help please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 597 of 22 April 2020, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Here is the original post:
CCTV appeal after healthcare workers car window is smashed and bags are stolen at petrol station in Mapperley - Gedling Eye

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) -- Not all nurses on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle are in hospitals or clinics.

Some make house calls to provide needed care.

Thats why one nurse was on the road when she suffered an unexpected expense.

An experienced hospice nurse, Cindy Crane travels a lot but she didnt know how to treat a bad drive.

What I should have done I guess is come turn here and go up to the clubhouse and ask them to help me get a cart to go chase down the offending golfer, Crane said.

A week ago Monday afternoon, Crane believes a golf ball shattered her side window as she drove south on 120th Street past a hole at The Knolls.

But she didnt stop at the clubhouse until two days later.

I was focused. I was focused on getting to my next patient, Crane said.

Omaha's golf director says Knolls staff would have gladly hopped on a cart to help track who might have hit a bad ball if Crane had stopped right away.

The hospice nurse has hundreds of dollars in medical equipment in the back of her car and shes worried that the shattered window isnt going to stand up to the weather much longer.

So the shattered window had to be replaced but with a $500 deductible, the cost of $467 came out of her pocket.

Even though I need new tires, Ill have to put them on the back burner, which is worrisome because I drive this car for my job, Crane said.

She doesnt golf but Crane learned one rule of the game: its not the course but the golfer who is responsible for damage and report it right away to have any shot at getting them to admit it.

Omaha's golf director says across the citys eight courses there are only a total of about five reports a year of an errant shot breaking a window.

The traveling hospice nurse sees a half dozen critical patients a day and thats why she didnt stop right away and report the damage to her car.

Read more:
Bad drive leaves hospice nurse paying for window smashed by golf ball - WOWT

The latest data from NetMarketShare shows that from March 2020 to April 2020, Linuxs desktop market share increased by 1.5%, and Windows share decreased by 2%.

For a long time, Linux has been regarded as the best substitute for the Windows system. However, although the data shows that Linuxs market share and installation rate are increasing significantly, as far as the Chinese market is concerned, it still takes some time to build a Linux distribution that can replace the Windows system.

Also Read: Huawei MateBook Series Linux Version Went On Sale

Liu Xinhuan, general manager of Tongxin Software Technology Co., Ltd. said in an interview, For a good operating system, you must have a long time to prepare psychologically. And to really compete with foreign operating systems, it will take at least 3 years, 5 years or even 10 years. So I think it is better to do our products well and do our own things, rather than staying in the verbal battle, because the final market still depends on product quality and service capabilities.

Tongxin Software has been in the research and development of operating systems in China. It focuses on the development and service of basic software such as operating systems. It has developed various operating system products based on the Linux kernel.

In fact, the pace of Linux replacing Windows in the Chinese market is still quite slow. StatCounter data shows that there are still not less than 86.67% of desktop computers still running Windows in the Chinese market. At the same time, Apple macOS accounts for 9.94% and Linux only accounts for 0.6%.

Liu Wenhuan said that from a relatively long-term perspective, the company hopes to gain more than one-third of Chinas market share in the field of general-purpose operating systems. In general, Linuxs desire to replace Windows in the Chinese market is not overnight.

See more here:
It Will Take 3-10 Years for Linux to Replace Windows in China - Gizchina.com

The ex-Reds star feels interest in the prolific RB Leipzig striker is purely down to Jurgen Klopp looking to add greater depth to his squad at Anfield

Liverpool are not looking for Timo Werner to replace anyone at Anfield, says John Barnes, with Jurgen Klopp considered to be looking to bring in competition for Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

Talk of the Reds launching a big-money raid on RB Leipzig for the prolific Germany international striker has been stepped up ahead of the next transfer window.

Werner is seen by many as the perfect fit for Klopps system, with the 24-year-old boasting both end product and willingness to work hard for the good of a collective cause.

Article continues below

It has, however, also been suggested that another option will be sought by Liverpool in the final third as interest is building in those already on their books.

La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have been sniffing around Salah and Mane for some time, but Barnes is not expecting sales to be sanctioned on Merseyside.

He told BonusCodeBets of the Werner rumours: Hes not going to replace anyone.

Hes coming to be part of the squad, I dont think Klopps going to drop any of the front three for him.

Of course, I dont know if that is what may necessarily happen. If Salah, Mane or Firmino goes, we dont know, so I dont think hes coming in to replace anyone, hes coming to be part of a squad.

Pressed further on whether he could see any member of a fearsome front three moving on in 2020, former Reds midfielder Barnes added: Every player, regardless of who you are, can go at any moment.

I dont think theyre preparing for any of the front three to leave. If you can get a player of Werners quality to come in and one of the front three doesnt leave, its fine, they have a stronger squad.

I dont think theyre going to lose any of the front three, but in modern football, you can never tell.

If you get a chance to get a player who can fit into what you want, you should do it.

I dont think hes going to cost hundreds of millions or his salary will be that high and it wont be the case where he has to play every single game because hes going to cost 100m and hes being paid 300k a week.

This is also what hes [Klopp] looking for, players that will come and be happy to be there and not demand to play every week, theyre not superstars like a [Cristiano] Ronaldo or a [Lionel] Messi.

Werner has left the door open for a move to Liverpool to be made, as he readies himself for a new challenge, but the Reds are not the only side monitoring his situation and may face competition when the next market opens for business.

Read the original here:
Liverpool not looking for Werner to replace anyone Barnes expects Salah, Mane & Firmino to stay put - Goal.com

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meansfootball's business model is about to change.

Big transfer fees and long contracts are set to be replaced by swaps, free-agent agreements and loan deals.

For the first time, we will see every major club looking to trade smart, with part-exchange deals expected to become more common than ever before.

It means deals like the one that saw Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan swap clubs in 2018 will become run of the milland it opens up a whole new world of transfer gossip.

The next transfer window will open as soon as the 2019/20 season is concluded, and here we take an early look at four potential swap deals in the offing.

Thomas Partey-Alexandre Lacazette

Mikel Arteta wants to reshape his squad this summer but also has some cost-cutting measures to adhere to.

To keep this brief, sources close to the situation insistArsenal will mainly be looking at free agents and swap deals when the market reopens.

There needs to be some smart negotiating, particularly if they want to land Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid. Insiders say they are keen to sign a central midfielder and that Partey is top of the list.

Now they need to find a way to make it happen.

AlexandreLacazette has been mooted by the Telegraph's Mike McGrath (h/tfootball.london) as the man who could open the door for Partey's switch, although the Frenchman played down the chances of him moving to Atleti.

It's feasible Arsenal would look to include him as a makeweight in the deal, but if not, there are six other first-teamers set to go on the market whom they could offer.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Matteo Guendouzi andShkodran Mustafi are names who might be interesting to Atletico.

So keep an eye on this one. Somehow, Arsenal aim to make Partey's signing happen.

Leroy Sane-David Alaba

Bayern Munich are stepping up their pursuit of Leroy Sane, whom they have wanted for the past year.

The deal was initially expected to make Manchester City close to 100 million, but the coronavirus pandemic has changed the thinking in Germany, and an initial offer of just 40 million (35 million) is being discussed instead.

It's a huge valuation decrease and not one that City will agree to. The bid will need to be raised or rolled into a part-exchange deal.

It has been suggested to B/R by two sources that versatile Bayern star David Alaba has emerged as a player who could become part of a swap deal. He's being pursued by Inter Milan, but this move would suit both Bayern and City.

His versatility appeals to Pep Guardiola at a time when he is looking for signings at left-back and centre-back, and a swap could finally help Sane get the move he wants.

Aaron Ramsey-Paul Pogba

Juventus still want to sign Paul Pogba; they just can't meet his 100 million valuation in this market.

Manchester United are planning to wipe the slate clean and expect Pogba to be part of their project for the next year under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but they will still be met with offers in the coming months.

One suggestion from Fabrizio Romano for CalcioMercato (h/tThe Sun'sJoshua Jones) is that Aaron Ramsey, who only moved to Juve from Arsenal a year ago, could be offered to United in order for Pogba to head back to Turin.But our sources say that particular scenario is unlikely, as Ramsey is determined to become a key member of the Juve squad.

That does not mean the idea of a swap deal is dead, as B/R understands there is a possibility that Adrien Rabiot might yet be used in discussions to take Pogba away from United.

United have a long-term admiration for Rabiot, so that could become interesting.But at this moment in time, it looks like Pogba is stuck at United a while longer.

Declan Rice-Eric Dier

West Ham United are being forced into a situation wherein they might have to listen to offers for any member of their squad, and that means even Declan Rice is up for grabs.

The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg reported that the England international will cost 70 million, but that price tag is unrealistic for buying clubs.

Spurs are interested in the player, and a report in 90 Min suggested Eric Dier could become part of a deal to take him to White Hart Lane.It carries some weight, as Spurs are also looking for a bit of an overhaul and would be willing to let Dier leave.

But insiders close to West Ham say it's not something they would be interested in. Tottenham would have to offer a different player, as well as cash, if there were any chance it could happen.

Manchester United and Chelsea are also interested in Rice, and while they won't meet his valuation, either, there is a possibility they will propose another option that may suit West Ham.

Go here to read the rest:
Big European Swap Deals Analysed Ahead of the 2020 Summer Transfer Window - Bleacher Report

ONE day in November 1953, a chief glazier, Mr Arthur Howe, was photographed applying the finishing touches to an inscription in a new, 13ft-tall window destined for the north wall of the choir at the medieval Glasgow Cathedral.

The inscription read: This window, dedicated to the Glory of God, is the gift of James Haldane Calder MacLeod, 1953, to replace Munich glass given by Graham Somervell of Hamilton Farm, 1861.

Watching Mr Howe at work was the windows designer, Mr Edward Liddall Armitage, who was based in stained-glass studios in Wealdstone, Middlesex.

Referring to the subtle colours in the window, this papers London correspondent reported: Small and brilliant fragments of red, blue, and gold pick out here and there the general pattern of the new window ... but the effect of the whole is of a cool glaucous translucency.

The grey and austere light entering through it will, it may be hoped, fall not inappropriately on the stones within, and will show their stern contours as they have scarcely been seen for a century; nothing could prettify Glasgow Cathedral, and no one would wish to see it attempted, but there is much to be said for seeing, in something less than Stygian gloom, the formidable virtues that are there.

Two years earlier, in June 1951, a photographer from The Bulletin visited the Cathedral as workmen erected stained-glass windows that depicted incidents in the life of St Mungo.

The windows, presented by Mr Andrew MacGeorge, replaced the family window of the Earls of Glasgow, which were said to have fallen into disrepair.

Read more: Herald Diary

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Those were the days - Throwing light on Glasgow Cathedral's 'Stygian gloom' - HeraldScotland

Linux has long been considered the best alternative to Windows, and the latest data shows its market share and adoption is massively improving.

But as far as China is concerned, building a Linux alternative to Windows could even take 10 years, Liu Wenhuan, the general manager of Union Tech explains.

Union Tech is the company that builds UOS, a Linux-based operating system that is supposed to allow China to abandon Windows as part of a long-term plan whose purpose is to reduce reliance on foreign software.

It will take at least 3, 5 or even 10 years [for us] to truly compete with foreign operating systems, Liu Wenhuan was quoted as saying by ABACUS.

Indeed, the development of Chinas Windows replacements progresses at a rather slow pace. However, Union Tech is currently in talks with local companies to bake support for their software and devices in the new Linux operating system, and the Chinese authorities hope Windows could eventually be replaced on some 30 percent of the devices operated by the government.

Of course, this is only possible in the long term on state computers, as home users are more likely to stick with Windows, especially for gaming.

According to StatCounter data, no less than 86.67% of the desktop computers in China are currently running Windows, while 9.94% of them are powered by Apples macOS. Linux is only said to be running on 0.6% of the devices.

Whether or not Linux would replace Windows in China is something that remains to be seen, but theres no doubt it does have what it takes to be used as a daily driver. And living proof is the number of organizations that have already transitioned to Linux worldwide and which dropped Windows for a wide variety of reasons, including the licensing costs.

Read the original post:
Linux Needs at Least 10 Years to Replace Windows in China - Softpedia News

Shattered windows at HOPE for NH Recovery. Courtesy Photo

Over the course of the past eight days, someone has broken five different windows at Hope. Someone threw one rock through one window last Monday evening. Someone (or someones) threw three rocks through three windows last Thursday night. Someone threw a rock through a window last night. Three nights. Five windows. No explanation. No rhyme. No reason.

I am heartbroken and pissedoff, a dangerous combination for me and those around me. Many of you have heard me speak of Hope as holy ground, a space where the miracle of recovery can take place. Hope, like a church, is not made out of a different physical substance than the rest of creation. Throw a big rock with enough force and the window will shatter. But so will dreams that this place is different, that this window lets sunshine into a mystical and magical area, that somehow weve got protection against ugly violence.

Thats the heartbreak, but the anger is right behind it. When the person who did this is caught, and he or she will be caught, Id like to be given five minutes alone with them, not to physically punish them although thats certainly appealing but to make them feel shame, true moral shame. While most of you know me as an upbeat, hopeful man who tries to spread joy, I do have a powerful dark side that can find joy in making folks suffer, twist in the wind, and suffer more, simply by holding their behavior in front of them. This is not a side I particularly like, but it is a power Ive used effectively.

Each window replacement costs more than a thousand dollars, and all of us can think of better things to do with $5,000 than replace broken windows. Money is important, but its not the most important issue here. Money can be raised or found somehow. Trust, though, trust in our neighbors, trust in our members, trust in Hopes value, cant simply be raised or found, and once its gone, rebuilding it takes way more energy than its destruction did.

I choose to believe these broken windows are the result of random vandalism, some 14-year-old kid discovering destructive power and the mesmerizing sound of breaking glass. At one point, I was that kid, using a pellet gun to wage commando raids on streetlights throughout my town. I believe the statute of limitations has long since passed, so I will confess I enjoyed shooting out those lights with no thought about any consequences from my destruction. I was wrong and Im sorry. If Im right that this vandalism is random teenage destruction, I hope the vandal will be caught and held accountable.

Im not nave, though. These five windows could have been broken by a friend or associate of someone who lives in our building or even by a disgruntled Hope member. If its the latter, someone who feels Hope or I have somehow betrayed them or done them wrong, please ask them to stop and instead reach out to me to let me know their concerns.

To Hope Nation as a whole: Please, please, please help us stop this madness. If you hear anything, please let us know. If you see anything, please let us know. If you know anything, please let us know. Right now, we know nothing, and that really stinks.

Please dont let this sad news have an impact on your recovery. Soon we will gather up to six feet together, share the power of recovery and a few laughs.

After all,You matter. I matter. We matter.

Keith

Keith Howard is Executive Director of HOPE for NH Recovery in Manchester. Read more at tinywhitebox.com

See the original post:
Missives from Hope: Broken Glass Everywhere. Close to the Edge - Manchester Ink Link

Back in 2010, Apple surprised us all when it killed the Xserve. Although it wasnt near as popular as Linux and Window Servers, it still had its place among macOS heavy enterprises. OS X Server (now macOS Server) provided several useful features that dont really exist in todays enterprise market. Why did Apple kill the Xserve and begin stripping features from macOS Server?

About Apple @ Work:Bradley Chambers has been managing an enterprise IT network since 2009. Through his experience deploying and managing firewalls, switches, a mobile device management system, enterprise grade Wi-Fi, 100s of Macs, and 100s of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple IT managers deploy Apple devices, build networks to support them, train users, stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for IT departments.

One of the critical reasons that Apple likely killed the Xserve is they foresaw the shift to the cloud in the enterprise, and there would be even less demand for Apple server hardware.

Also, in 2010, the writing was on the wall. Solutions like Google Apps for your Domain (now G Suite) were starting to become more popular in smaller businesses on its way to enterprise domination. Mobility was forcing enterprises to rethink their network setups as employees moved from desktop workstations to slim laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Services like Amazon Web Services were also starting to take off as real alternatives to building a data center.

The timing around the death of the Xserve is around the same time that Snow Leopard was released. One of the critical features of Snow Leopard was built-in support for Microsoft Exchange. Looking back, Apple was going with a we arent going to win the data center, lets when the end-user approach.

They were never going to replace Windows and Linux Servers, and they didnt need to win in the enterprise. OS Xs Mail Server was never going to replace Microsoft Exchange, so they made OS X work with Exchange instead. Theyd be better off selling a few thousand MacBook Airs instead of five Xserves. They needed to make the Mac easier to integrate into the existing enterprise environment, and that is precisely what they proceeded to do in the years since. They were never going to convince the IT department to deploy Macs, but, as users started demanding them, they needed to make sure it was as easy as possible for the devices to integrate.

Looking back over the past ten years, Apples enterprise strategy has worked perfectly. The rise of cloud services meant that it was easier than ever to deploy Macs without worrying about software compatibility. Apples dominance in mobility (iPhone and iPad) in the enterprise made it easier for the IT department to be sold on Macs for average users (not just video editors and graphic designers). At the time, killing the Xserve looked like Apple was giving up on the enterprise. In reality, it was step one in Apples plan to dominate the enterprise.

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Apple @ Work: Killing the Xserve was step one in Apples plan to dominate the enterprise - 9to5Mac