‘Care 2030’ Vision Sets Out ‘Building Blocks’ for Spending Review and White Paper

Six key priorities or ‘building blocks’ for better care so everyone can age well are set out in a new paper, ‘Care 2030’, published today (18 October 2021) by the independent charity, Hallmark Foundation. The paper sets out a bold vision of a Britain where care is ‘a powerful force for good’, empowering and inspiring, meeting everyone’s needs and recognising their strengths.

The six priorities for action focus on choice and control, workforce, integration, housing, technology and family carers – all key issues as the Government prepares its spending review and social care white paper.

Recommendations in the paper include creating an Office for Care and Ageing Well which would monitor and report unmet care needs in our ageing society and promote sustainable ways to deliver better care and prevention.

Other recommendations include a renewed drive to make direct payments work for older and disabled people using care, a focus on personal strengths and relationships, imaginative approaches to recruiting and developing care workers and future leaders, improvements in developing lifelong homes and supporting family carers, and a smooth transition from children’s care services to adult support.

The recommendations stem from analysis in the paper of growing unmet demand for care, an underfunded system that increasingly focuses on crisis care, and a largely poorly trained and paid workforce. Together these factors mean that care often fails to provide basic support let alone a decent quality of life and opportunities to live a fulfilling life. Setting up an Office for Care and Ageing Well is seen as a key step towards ensuring that the widening care gap is closed.

The ‘Care 2030’ paper is published as the Hallmark Foundation launches its website and branding, setting out its funding priorities for investing in the future of care so everyone can age well. These include grants towards improving the quality of care, particularly dementia care; supporting and growing the care workforce; and promoting social care and its sustainability.

‘Care 2030’ has been jointly written by journalist Jonathan Bunn and Stephen Burke, chief executive of the Hallmark Foundation.

Stephen Burke said: “Imagine a Britain where everyone can age well, where everyone’s needs and aspirations are met and their strengths are recognised. A Britain where care and caring are valued. We know this is possible. It already happens in some places here and in other parts of the world. We believe it could and should happen for everyone wherever they live.

“The Government has raised expectations through its recent announcement of a national insurance rise to pay for tackling the health backlog following Covid-19 and ‘fixing social care’. This is an opportunity for everyone using and providing care to raise our game and push for better care. It’s also a challenge to leaders within and outside government to be bold and ambitious. The forthcoming spending review and white paper are the perfect springboards to deliver better care. ‘Care 2030’ sets out key building blocks to make it happen.”