LGA Urges Locally Led Approach to Adult Social Care Reform
The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for councils to remain at the heart of adult social care reform, arguing that lasting change should be nationally backed but designed and delivered at a local level with a strong emphasis on prevention and person-centred support.
In a report submitted to the Casey Commission, the LGA says there is broad agreement across political parties and the adult social care sector that future reforms should be rooted in local communities, prioritise early intervention, and reflect the experiences of people who rely on care and support.
The organisation believes national government should set the overall direction while councils retain responsibility for shaping services around local needs. It argues that clearer roles between national and local government would help reduce duplication, improve consistency and create a more effective care system.
According to the report, the success of any future reforms should ultimately be judged by whether people receiving care are able to live independently, maintain their dignity and remain connected to their communities and the people who matter most to them.
The report was released as the LGA’s Annual Conference opened in Bournemouth, where Baroness Casey is expected to address more than 1,700 delegates, including council leaders, elected members, senior officers and representatives from across local government and the wider public sector.
Its recommendations are based on feedback gathered from councils, people with lived experience of care, care workers, providers and other organisations involved in adult social care.
The LGA warns that council funding has failed to keep pace with increasing demand driven by population growth, an ageing population and more complex care needs. It highlights growing financial pressures on local authorities, noting that a significant number of councils with adult social care responsibilities are expected to require Exceptional Financial Support from the Government during the 2026/27 financial year in order to balance their budgets.
The report also argues that, after years of delayed decisions on social care funding, the Government should begin building public support for a long-term national funding settlement.
The LGA says that reliable, long-term investment will be essential if councils are to meet rising demand, fulfil their legal responsibilities under the Care Act and ensure people receive the support they need to live independent and fulfilling lives.
Among a series of recommendations drawing on engagement with the sector, the LGA is calling for government and the Casey Commission to:
• Lead a national public campaign to change how the public thinks about social care. Reform will fail unless the public narrative changes.
• Make prevention a core national infrastructure, funded like the NHS with a dedicated national prevention and transformation fund focused on early intervention, housing, community support and independence.
• Ensure a National Care Service strengthens consistency and entitlement, not replace local democratic leadership of social care.
• Explore how greater consistency can be delivered within assessment processes and frameworks, and whether elements of assessment or financial assessment could be undertaken nationally if it makes the system faster and more efficient.
• Return oversight of integration and place-based delivery to local government.
• Establish a national programme of work to improve transitions from children’s to adult services.
• Explore the role of council tax in funding adult social care, with all options on the table including how reforms might lessen the reliance on it and whether it remains a suitable mechanism for funding adult social care in the future.
• Recognise housing as a core component of care, prevention and independence and develop a National Care, Wellbeing and Housing Plan for England.
• Develop a new national approach to recognising, identifying and supporting unpaid carers and develop a package of practical support measures.
• Review whether CQC’s market oversight powers should extend to a wider range of medium and large providers to improve transparency around provider ownership, financing, and the role of private equity within adult social care.
Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the Local Government Association, said:
“Adult social care is vital national infrastructure that touches all of our lives – it must be built around people, not services.
“Structural reform alone will not deliver better outcomes without greater public understanding of adult social care’s value, the way we talk about it, and changes to commissioning, market shaping and workforce policy.
“Success will require a new partnership between national government, local government and citizens. It will ultimately be judged by whether people are better able to remain connected to the people, places and passions that matter most in their lives.
“Our report reflects the views from our sector-wide engagement and sets out a clear, evidence based case for long term reform built on prevention, stronger rights and entitlements, and a sustainable national funding settlement. This is the starting point of further exploration of key areas by the LGA.
“Local government and its convening powers are essential to making adult social care reform work and stick. We look forward to working closely with government and the Casey Commission exploring all options for system reform and helping to co-design and lead this change.
“This is an opportunity for successful lasting reform that we don’t want to miss.”
