Government Sets Out Adult Social Care Vision and £4.6bn Funding Boost
The government has published its adult social care priorities for local authorities, outlining a roadmap towards establishing a national care service alongside a commitment to provide approximately £4.6 billion in additional funding by 2028-29.
Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State for Care, unveiled the framework which centres on three core objectives designed to transform care delivery across England over the coming years.
Three Priority Outcomes for Adult Social Care
The Department of Health and Social Care has established three priority outcomes that will guide local authority planning and service delivery from the 2026-27 financial year:
- People who draw on care and support, and their carers, experience high-quality adult social care provided by a skilled workforce.
- People who draw on care and support are supported to promote their independence, where possible, and have choice and control over their support.
- People who draw on care and support experience joined-up health and social care services at a neighbourhood level.
These priorities align with the government’s overarching ambition to create a national care service that ensures responsive, proportionate and person-centred support for all individuals, regardless of their needs, background or location.
Key Expectations for Care Providers and Local Authorities
The framework sets out specific expectations that will directly impact residential and nursing care homes across the UK. Local authorities are expected to commission sustainable services with a focus on individual outcomes and quality of care, maintaining person-centred, place-based and outcomes-driven commissioning strategies.
Significantly for the care home sector, local authorities have been directed to set fee rates at sustainable levels to enable adult social care providers to recruit skilled staff, stabilise workforce capacity, and prepare for employment rights reforms beginning in financial year 2026. The framework also anticipates the introduction of a fair pay agreement from financial year 2028, for which the government has allocated £500 million.
The government expects local authorities to work with care providers to embed a national workforce career structure through the care workforce pathway for adult social care, aligning with a national rollout by the Department of Health and Social Care and Skills for Care.
Addressing Waiting Times and Improving Access
A new focus on monitoring adult social care waiting times has been introduced, with particular attention to managing timely placements for individuals with complex needs. Local authorities are expected to ensure waiting lists are managed effectively to enable better access to care services.
The framework encourages increased use of data and digital technologies to improve service design, assessment processes and user experiences. Two new metrics on adult social care waiting times will be published as experimental statistics early in the 2026-27 financial year.
Strengthening Integration with Health Services#
In line with the government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England, local authorities are expected to develop more integrated health and social care services at a neighbourhood level. This includes co-developing neighbourhood health plans with the NHS and agreeing how to use funding pooled under the reformed Better Care Fund.
The reforms emphasise developing multidisciplinary teams for people with complex health and care needs, embedding personalised care planning and integrated care records. Particular attention will be given to people with short-term rehabilitation, reablement and recovery needs, working with the NHS to support timely hospital discharge and reduce unnecessary long-term residential or nursing home admissions.
Funding Simplification and Transparency
From 2026-27, the government will consolidate multiple individual grants, including the Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund and Social Care Grant, into local authorities’ Fair Funding Allocation. This simplification aims to give councils greater discretion over funding use and remove the administrative burden of tracking expenditure against separate grants.
For the first time, adult social care notional allocations for each local authority will be published early in 2026, covering a three-year period through to 2028-29. While these allocations are not formal spending requirements, they will serve as reference points to support local authority budget-setting and planning.
The government has acknowledged that adult social care expenditure at local authority level will be influenced by various local factors, including service demand and costs, previous decisions, local priorities and funding context.
Enhanced Support and Accountability
The Care Quality Commission’s refreshed approach to local authority assessments will roll out, with baseline reports published on how local authorities are meeting their statutory duties under the Care Act 2014. This enhanced transparency, combined with the Department of Health and Social Care’s support offer, aims to drive quality improvements across the sector.
Support for local authorities will continue through funded programmes delivered by sector partners including the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Social Care Institute for Excellence and Think Local Act Personal.
Focus on Prevention and Independence
The framework places significant emphasis on preventative services and maintaining independence. Local authorities are expected to work with sector partners to deliver preventative services in the community, provide earlier support to prevent needs from escalating, and make best use of care technology and targeted falls prevention programmes.
Working with housing partners to ensure appropriate and safe housing options for people with care and support needs is also highlighted, including the use of home adaptations and supported housing.
Supporting Unpaid Carers and Young People
Increased support for unpaid carers has been prioritised to help them maintain their own wellbeing while coordinating care for loved ones. The framework mandates that carers should be actively involved in care planning processes.
For young people likely to have eligible care and support needs upon reaching adulthood, local authorities must coordinate early transition planning from age 14 onwards, involving transitions assessments and engagement with relevant agencies across health, social care and education.
Minister’s Statement
In his ministerial foreword, Stephen Kinnock MP emphasised the urgency of reform: “We know that the system is under significant pressure, and the cost of inaction is too high. For too long, adult social care has been left neglected. We cannot afford to stand still – every delay means missed opportunities to improve lives.”
The minister acknowledged that achieving these objectives would not happen overnight, noting that the expectations represent important steps towards the government’s vision ahead of findings from Baroness Casey’s independent commission into adult social care.
Multi-Year Settlement Provides Stability
The 2026-27 financial year will mark the first multi-year funding settlement for local government in a decade, providing local authorities with greater certainty to plan and invest for the long term. The government has committed to reviewing the framework annually, though significant changes each year are not anticipated.
The priorities do not replace or override local authorities’ statutory duties under the Care Act 2014, which remain central to improving independence and wellbeing, nor does the publication represent statutory guidance. Local authorities retain discretion to balance national priorities with local needs and circumstances.
The government will engage with local authorities throughout the financial year to gain insights into local decision-making, understand barriers to implementation, and identify steps taken to meet local challenges, prioritising engagement where data indicates significant variation from national averages.
