This ex-care worker describes experiencing better care when services were well funded and directly insourced under the council, with higher standards, stronger oversight and union support for workers.

They recall extensive in-person training being funded, including a three-day swimming lifesaver course and a Makaton (sign-along) course, allowing staff to take as much training as needed to improve professionalism and care quality.

This training helped them support a service user who used Makaton and had severe self-harming issues, leading to fewer incidents as the relationship and understanding improved.

They attribute these improvements to increased public service funding under Tony Blair’s Labour government in the mid-2000s, and note a major negative change after 2010 when the coalition government began widespread cuts.