Social care leaders from across the sector have welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment to establishing a National Care Service, describing it as an important opportunity to deliver long-awaited reform. While the announcement has been met with optimism, leaders have emphasised that ambition must now be matched by sustained investment, a stronger workforce and a clear plan for delivery.
The Prime Minister’s recognition of social care as an essential public service and his commitment to making reform a key policy priority has been widely welcomed. Sector leaders have highlighted the potential to improve access to care, create career opportunities for young people and provide better support for individuals, families and unpaid carers. However, they have also stressed that turning this vision into reality will require meaningful collaboration, long-term funding and action to address the challenges facing the sector.
Reform for not-for-profit organisations
Liz Jones, Deputy CEO and Policy Director at NCF, welcomed the Prime Minister’s recognition of social care as an essential public service and highlighted the opportunities reform could create for the next generation of care workers.
She said:
“It was very refreshing to hear him describe care as an essential public service, as crucial to people as water, energy, transport and homes and to make social care reform such a key policy priority for his government.
“Listening also to his focus on the importance of a stronger offer to support young people into work and training, and enabling them to start work well, it is clear that there are many opportunities for employers across the care and support sector to provide career choices for young people.”
Alongside strengthening the workforce, ensuring that people can access the care they need will be central to the success of a National Care Service. The prospect of free personal care has been welcomed, but sector leaders have stressed that reform must also address the funding and capacity needed to deliver high-quality support.
Reform for homecare
Dr Jane Townson OBE, Chief Executive of the Homecare Association, said:
“Free personal care could be a profound and positive reform, if we learn from what has and has not worked elsewhere.
“The question is not simply whether care is free. It is whether people can get enough good care when they need it, whether care workers can earn a fair and secure living, and whether providers can sustain the capacity communities need.
“A National Care Service worthy of the name must be free at the point of use and fair at the point of delivery.”
For reform to succeed, the sector has also highlighted the importance of building on existing expertise and ensuring that the future system supports innovation, effective commissioning and better integration with the NHS. With the proposed National Care Service still to be developed, there are opportunities to begin making progress now.
Reform for independent adult social care
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, welcomed the ambition for reform, emphasising the need for a practical approach that makes effective use of existing expertise and prepares the sector for long-term change.
He said:
“There is enormous potential in getting reform right. We support broader access, sustainable funding and better outcomes. We also need a system that encourages innovation, makes the best use of public money and recognises the expertise and capacity that already exist across the sector. Reform should be shaped by what works for people, not by ideological preferences for who provides their care.
“The ambition and urgency are clear, but so is the timetable. If the National Care Service is to be introduced in the next Parliament, this Parliament must be used to prepare the ground for it.
“Baroness Casey’s Commission can help determine the shape of the future system, but government does not need to wait for every detail to be settled before acting. Progress can begin now on commissioning, workforce reform, regulation, NHS integration and the financial sustainability of care.”
The impact of social care reform extends beyond those receiving support. Unpaid carers and families play a vital role in the care system, and their needs must be recognised in any future settlement. Leaders have emphasised that a National Care Service must not only improve access to formal care but also provide meaningful support for those caring for loved ones.
Reform for unpaid carers
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment and stressed the urgency of delivering lasting change for people and families.
She said:
“We applaud the Prime Minister for his absolute commitment to fundamentally reform our broken social care system and to build a National Care Service.
“It is a critical issue that affects us all. Almost everyone will give or receive care at some point in our lives. Yet 16 years since the last White Paper set out the fundamentals of what a National Care Service might look like, the complexity and problems with social care have grown far worse. Change has never been more urgent, and the Prime Minister has grasped this.
“Great social care has the ability to transform lives, help people to stay in work and also create valued jobs. As Baroness Casey’s work moves forward, we want to see the Prime Minister’s commitment today become a really ambitious settlement, with unpaid carers at its heart, that will truly deliver, providing people and families with the high-quality support they need.”
While there is broad support for the ambition of reform, significant questions remain about how a National Care Service will be funded and delivered. Additional public investment, alongside sustained political leadership, will be essential to establishing a system that is both accessible and financially sustainable.
Reform for healthcare
Dr Jennifer Dixon, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, highlighted the importance of addressing these challenges and maintaining political momentum.
She said:
“Difficult questions and trade-offs will follow – not least how reform will be funded and how costs will be shared. While it’s not yet clear what will be included in the state’s offer under a new national care service, additional public investment will be needed to deliver a fairer and more universal system. But the cost of continued inaction to people and their families is severe and an overwhelming majority of the public support the principle of a greater role for the state in funding social care.
“Sustained political leadership from the Prime Minister is now needed to deliver the prize on offer – and other political leaders will need to rise above party politics to give reform the cross-party support it needs. The shared challenge is how to turn the positive vision that the Prime Minister has set out into a reality for the people who depend on social care.”
Across the sector, there is a shared recognition that the Prime Minister’s commitment represents an important opportunity to secure the future of social care. However, delivering meaningful reform will require more than ambition alone. Sustained investment, a clear plan for implementation and close collaboration between government and the sector will be essential to ensuring that a National Care Service meets the needs of people drawing on care, their families and the workforce. As Baroness Casey’s Commission takes forward its work, sector leaders are calling for continued momentum and meaningful action to turn the commitment into lasting change.
