Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive at The Care Workers’ Charity, highlights key insights from the “Future of Adult Social Care” report, focusing on workforce support, fair pay, and creating a sustainable care system.
In November 2024, we convened a diverse group of stakeholders—including care workers, people drawing on care, unpaid carers, care providers, commissioners, and advocacy groups—for roundtable discussions focused on the future of adult social care. These discussions created an open forum for participants to share experiences, concerns, and ideas for reform, with a strong emphasis on ensuring the voices of frontline care workers were central to the conversation.
Care workers are often excluded from policymaking discussions that impact their work and those they support. One key objective of the roundtables was to address this gap by creating a platform for care workers, people drawing on care, and other stakeholders to openly share their perspectives. The findings from these discussions were compiled into a report, contributing to policy discussions, including The Baroness Casey Commission, the Fair Pay Agreement, and broader social care reforms.
Social care has long been in crisis, facing workforce shortages, underfunding, and a lack of recognition for its vital role. The findings underscore the urgent need for a long-term vision that prioritises investment, workforce support, and a system that truly values care. The discussions covered pressing issues such as pay and conditions, professional development, and sustainable commissioning. The insights provide a roadmap for shaping a fair, sustainable care system focused on improving the lives of care workers and those they support.
Key Themes from the Roundtables
Centering Care Voices: Frontline care workers, people drawing on care, and unpaid carers must be central to decision-making. Their lived experiences offer invaluable insights and should inform future reforms.
A Shared Vision for Social Care: A unified vision is needed, one that moves beyond a crisis-driven narrative and upholds dignity, autonomy, and high-quality care, ensuring individuals receiving care live fulfilling lives.
Elevating the Care Workforce: Care work has been undervalued for too long. The discussions highlighted the urgent need for reforms to improve pay, create career progression opportunities, and recognise care work as skilled and essential.
Social Care as a Distinct Sector: While improved collaboration with the NHS is needed, social care must be recognised as a distinct sector with its own funding and priorities. A holistic approach is necessary to treat social care as a vital component of society, not just an extension of healthcare.
Sustainable Funding & Investment: Meaningful reform will require sustained financial investment to ensure fair wages, high-quality training, and accessible, equitable care services.
Public Perception & Societal Value of Care: Care work needs to be recognised as a skilled, essential profession. Changing public perceptions is key to improving recruitment, retention, and long-term investment in the sector.
Professionalisation: Care workers supported professionalisation, including a national registration system to enhance workforce identity and improve standards. This system must be designed to ensure accessibility, affordability, and flexibility.
A National Minimum Pay Standard: Strong support was voiced for a sector-wide minimum pay rate of at least £15 per hour, with increases based on experience and responsibilities. This must be backed by sustainable funding to ensure fair remuneration.
Addressing Structural Inequalities: Social care reform must address systemic inequalities related to race, gender, disability, and economic status, ensuring equity in both access to care and working conditions.
Commissioning & Funding Reform: Multi-year funding settlements, equity-based funding formulas, and national oversight are essential for ensuring stability, fair resource distribution, and preventing workforce shortages.
The discussions highlighted that any transformation in social care will depend on meaningful engagement with those on the front lines, sustained investment, and the recognition that social care is fundamental to a well-functioning society.
This report serves as a foundation for further consultation, advocacy, and action. Achieving meaningful change requires ongoing commitment to ensuring care workers, people drawing on care, and unpaid carers are at the centre of shaping the future of social care. Ultimately, how we support and invest in social care reflects our values as a society. It’s not just about meeting basic needs but enabling people to live full, meaningful lives with dignity, choice, and connection.
You can download our report along with Easy Read and Word versions on our website HEREi
