Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York
What would it look like to develop a radical and inspiring vision for care and support that enables every human being, regardless of age or ability, to flourish?
The Archbishop of Canterbury and I asked the Reimagining Care Commission to answer this question, bringing together a group of experts from a wide range of fields relating to social care.
At a time when social care has been regularly in the news and the Government has introduced – and then reversed – funding reforms, the Commission has taken a distinctive approach.
Its work has been grounded in theological principles, reaffirming and celebrating that we are all made in God’s image, intimately known and deeply loved for who we are, not simply for what we contribute.In turn, that led the Commission to seek to reframe the debate; not to ignore the challenges facing social care, but to articulate a big, bold vision for our society about what it means to care for one another.
In its new report, ‘Care and Support Reimagined’, the Commission has developed three big ideas to transform care and support.
First, we need to rethink attitudes to care and support. Care and support is not just about ‘vulnerable’ people ‘over there’; it’s everybody’s business. Rather than thinking narrowly about the practical tasks that people need in order to get through the day, we need to consider much broadly the care and support that we all need in order to live flourishing lives. Care and support must attend to our emotional, physical, and spiritual needs and aspirations. As a matter of urgency, we must reassess our own attitudes within our society, never seeing older people and disabled people as burdens to be managed, but as gifts to be cherished. All of us, individuals, communities and government, have a part to play. You might call it ‘one another care’.
Second, we need to rebalance roles and responsibilities. It is about time we had a proper conversation about our mutual responsibilities when it comes to care and support. The Commission is calling for the development of a National Care Covenant, which would set out what is expected of individuals, families and communities, alongside local and national government. I believe this could be a game-changing idea, because it is about listening to people, finding out what matters most to them, and making sure that we have a system that reflects the reality and complexity of people’s lives. Following its comprehensive Listening and Engagement Exercise, the Commission has made suggestions about what it hopes would be reflected in the outcome of the Covenant: more investment in, and emphasis on, community-led support; a new deal for unpaid carers; a stronger role for the state; and a renewed commitment to our responsibility as engaged citizens.
Thirdly, we need to redesign the way care and support is organised. Our long-term aspiration should be for a society in which care and support is free at the point of need, regardless of wealth or income, provided in a range of ways that reflects the diversity of needs. In the meantime, the Commission has called for a simpler system which gives people who draw on care and support and their families more say about the type of services they receive. Churches have an important role to play alongside others in offering first-contact help in the community. Yes, this will cost money, but we cannot afford to continue as we are, with people who draw on care and support and their families carrying the burden of unaffordable costs.
This report encourages us to be more generous, to consider the role we all have to play in a building a better, fairer society in which all can flourish and feel valued. I believe a National Care Covenant really could be a game-changer, so let us commit to working together so that everyone has the care and support they need to live a full life.
