Social care policy
government or citizens is directed towards the delivery of care, so that money remains in the sector and is reinvested into the workforce and to improve the quality of care, rather than leaking out of services and the public sector.
A longer-term plan for funding of social care We need a wider conversation across government and society about how we are going to sustain and grow our social care offer in the face of demographics which show increasing volume and complexity of need. The Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 20237
offers fascinating insights
about shaping future healthcare services with a focus on how to maximise the independence, and minimise the time in ill health, between people in England reaching older age and the end of their life. The equivalent strategic future proofing for social care and support provision is essential if we are able to respond to changing and future needs, as is an honest conversation within society about how we intend to pay for this.
Excellent analysis8 from the Health
Foundation at the beginning of the year offers policy makers three broad options: Providing basic protection for all against some care costs with a Scottish-style model of ‘free personal care’ in England could cost around £6bn extra in 2026/27, rising to £7bn by 2035/36. Protecting people with the greatest lifetime care needs against catastrophic costs by introducing a Dilnot-style ‘cap’ set
Fair Pay Agreements
Fair Pay Agreements offer a way forward, but again they need to be fully funded – we cannot have a repeat of the NLW scenario where pay levels are set but local commissioners in local authorities or the NHS are not adequately funded to commission services at full cost recovery including increases in NLW pay rates each year. And of course, the logistics of negotiating a Fair Pay Agreement for the sector will need support and resourcing. The NHS has NHS Employers to do this, for example, but there is currently no equivalent organisation in adult social care. The scale and complexity of the social care sector should not be underestimated by the government, with
1.6 million workers, across 18,000 (nearly all independent) organisations, providing care and support in a range of settings and a variety of models of care, from residential care settings for older people to supported living settings for working age adults with a learning disability and everything in between. This diversity and breadth may prove to be the biggest barrier for the new government’s plans – establishing an employer association that appropriately represents the whole sector will be a challenge in itself and funding to employers to honour the Fair Pay Agreement that is reached will be essential if it is to be implemented in a meaningful and sustainable way. We look forward to the Employment Rights Bill after recess.
at £86,000 could cost an additional £0.5bn in 2026/27, rising to around £3.5bn by 2035/36. Introducing an NHS-style model of
universal and comprehensive care could cost around £17bn in additional funding by 2035/36.
Without high quality social care, it will be impossible to fix the broken NHS. Without high quality social care, it will be impossible to sustain economic growth. Without high quality social care, it will be impossible to lift up our communities and the people that live in them. We now need to see positive action on social care. There is time, political capital, and the expertise of a united social care sector to make this happen. We urge the government to chart a course with social care at its centre and we stand ready to help transform social care for the millions who work in it and – most vitally – rely upon it. n
Author’s note: This article was drafted at the end of August/early September and so it reflects the policy context at the time; hopefully there will have been more positive developments for social care by the time of publication.
References 1
https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/ local-government-white-paper
2
https://www.health.org.uk/publications/ long-reads/adult-social-care-funding- pressures
3
https://www.gov.uk/government/ consultations/proposed-reforms-to-the-
Liz Jones
Liz Jones is the policy director of the National Care Forum, joining the organisation in May 2019. At the NCF, Liz leads the policy and research team, working closely with the CEO on influencing and championing its members’ voices. She is responsible for membership support and engagement, and leads the research work for the organisation.
Liz has a strong background in social policy, care and support, and health and housing, with over 20 years’ experience across the civil service, local government, and the charity sector, including Methodist Homes (MHA), Nottingham City Council, and Manchester City Council. She has recently joined the Board of Trustees of Dementia Carers Count (DCC), a charity that supports the emotional and practical needs of the 700,000 families living with dementia in the UK.
October 2024
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com 27
national-planning-policy-framework-and- other-changes-to-the-planning-system/ proposed-reforms-to-the-national-planning- policy-framework-and-other-changes-to- the-planning-system#scope-of-consultation
4
https://careandsupportalliance.com/new- analysis-reveals-postcode-lottery-for-care/
5
https://questions-statements.parliament. uk/written-statements/detail/2024-07-30/ hcws50
6
https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/research/ national-policy-options-to-improve-care- worker-pay-in-england
7
https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/chief-medical-officers-annual- report-2023-health-in-an-ageing-society
8
https://www.health.org.uk/publications/ long-reads/social-care-funding-reform-in- england
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