Care England, in partnership with PLMR, has today published a new report calling for a fundamental shift in how adult social care is understood, funded and supported. The report was launched in parliament to a room of MPs, peers, and national stakeholders across the adult and social care sector.
‘The Power of Care: the system behind our society’ argues that adult social care is not a service for “other people”, nor simply a support system for moments of crisis. It is essential national infrastructure: enabling people to live independently, supporting families to stay in work, sustaining local communities, reducing pressure on the NHS and contributing significantly to the national economy.
In a sector supporting over 800k people and employing 1.6 million across England, contributing £78bn a year to the UK economy, the report drew primarily on a survey of care provider leaders, workers, and receivers of care and support. Interviews were held with key stakeholders, from across the adult social care sector, amplifying their voices at a time when social care is often ignored. The report finds that while high-quality, person-centred care is already being delivered across the country, the system around it remains too fragile, fragmented and short-term to make this the consistent experience for everyone.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said:
“Social care is being asked to do more than ever, with less and less funding to meet the demand – supporting prevention, enabling hospital discharge, reducing pressure on the NHS, strengthening neighbourhood health models, supporting unpaid carers and contributing to local economic growth. The opportunities are set out in this report clearly, although the report is equally clear that the government must make immediate and longer-term changes so that the country can reap these benefits in full.”
The report calls on the Government to treat adult social care as a national priority and economic opportunity, including in the short-term through a clear multi-year funding trajectory for the Fair Pay Agreement, cost-reflective fee rates, reduced duplication in oversight, stronger integration with the NHS, and long-term investment in care infrastructure, community provision and digital systems.
Over the medium to long term, it hopes that a more strategic reform programme can take place, moving from fragility to stability, involving local authorities and providers, reducing siloing across DHSC, MHCLG and other government departments, and recognising care’s role in prevention and rehabilitation as part of a more integrated health and care system, whereas over half of survey respondents said currently the NHS and social care work together poorly or not very well.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, continued:
“The strongest examples of good care already exist across the country. What is missing is not ambition from providers or commitment from the workforce, but a system that enables good care to become the norm rather than the exception.”
Nathan Hollow, Board Director and Head of Health and Social Care at PLMR, said:
“This report comes at a critical moment for the future of adult social care. The national conversation too often focuses on pressure, crisis and cost – but social care has an incredibly powerful story to tell about its value to society, its economic contribution, and the opportunity it presents to transform the nation.
“If policy makers are serious about prevention, neighbourhood health, NHS recovery, economic growth and building stronger, more equal communities, then social care must be treated as central to the national agenda. It is one of the most powerful tools we have to deliver all these goals, while transforming the lives of millions of people.
“The opportunity now is to build on the outstanding care already happening every day across the country, and to use this to demonstrate the importance and value of social care to the public and politicians – this is how we can create the conditions needed to deliver the political attention social care needs to make great care and great careers the standard.”
Professor Martin Green added:
“Social care is about living, not just surviving. It gives people confidence, dignity, independence and connection. It allows families to be families, workers to remain in work, and communities to stay resilient.”
“If we are serious about building a healthier, fairer and more productive country, we must be serious about social care. That means moving beyond short-term fixes and recognising the sector for what it is, the system behind our society.”
