Government announce Social Care Commission
The Government has unveiled plans to reform England’s social care system, including the establishment of a cross-party Commission chaired by the crossbench peer Baroness Louise Casey. The announcement can be read at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-reforms-and-independent-commission-to-transform-social-care.
The Commission will begin its work in April 2025 and is set to make its final recommendations in 2028, with an interim report in 2026 outlining medium-term improvements. It comes as part of a broader vision from the Government to create a National Care Service to address the chronic issues of underfunding, workforce shortages, and growing demand. However, the lengthy timeline has been criticised by some experts and local councils, who argue that delaying meaningful reform until 2028 risks deepening the crisis in care; Health Secretary Wes Streeting has been on the media round this morning defending the position.
Alongside the Commission, the Government announced an £86 million boost to the Disabled Facilities Grant, aimed at helping elderly and disabled people remain in their homes and avoid extended hospital stays. Other immediate measures include better use of technology, improved career opportunities for care workers, and closer integration of health and social care.
David Luxton
CSPA Deputy General Secretary, David Luxton commented on the announcement of a Commission today (3 January) :
“The announcement does at first sight appear to be delaying any meaningful action on fixing the Social Care crisis, after almost 20 years of numerous Government reviews and recommendations for change,. This time it does feel different from just `kicking the can down the road` again.
“There is a clear political will to seek cross-party support for a National Care Service and all of that will take a lot of planning and coordination across Government and local Councils; and will require much more funding and coordination of resources across central and local Government. This Commission should not prevent short-term action now to ease the crisis facing so many older and vulnerable people”.
CSPA will be meeting with charities like Age UK and others in the Care Support Alliance next Thursday 9 January to decide how we respond and influence the shape and direction of this Commission, immediate campaigning priorities.
