Sector Leaders Respond to National Care Service Plans
Social care organisations have broadly welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s plans for a National Care Service, while stressing that sustainable funding, workforce reform and the needs of working-age adults must be central to any future system.
The Prime Minister has announced plans for a new National Care Service which would provide free personal care to older people according to need rather than their ability to pay.
The proposed service is intended to overhaul England’s social care system and provide greater financial security in later life. It would be introduced in stages during the next Parliament, with expansion dependent on available funding and care capacity.
The announcement has prompted responses from leading organisations across the social care, dementia and ageing sectors, with widespread recognition of the need for fundamental reform alongside calls for clarity over funding, implementation and the future role of providers.
Jim Kane, Chief Executive Officer at Community Integrated Care, welcomed the emphasis on a person-centred and universal service, describing the proposals as reflecting principles that many in the sector have advocated for some time.
He said social care should be regarded as essential infrastructure rather than simply a safety net, highlighting its role in helping people remain independent, participate in their communities and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
Mr Kane also called for a sustainable, long-term funding settlement, alongside fair pay, career progression and greater professional recognition for care workers.
However, he stressed that the future system must reflect the full breadth of social care rather than concentrating solely on older people’s services.
He said working-age adults with learning disabilities, autistic people and others requiring lifelong support must also be properly represented within any National Care Service.
He added that reform should involve Government, the Casey Commission, sector organisations, people who draw on care and their families, while recognising the contribution of not-for-profit providers.
Care England calls for practical preparation
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said social care reform had been postponed for decades, with consequences now being experienced by people receiving care, their families, providers and the NHS.
He said the starting point for reform should be the delivery of high-quality care, choice and positive outcomes, regardless of the operating model of the provider.
Professor Green highlighted the contribution of independent providers, which he said deliver the majority of social care in England, employ more than one million people and provide support which helps people remain well, independent and out of hospital.
Care England supports broader access to care, sustainable funding and improved outcomes, but Professor Green said reform should also encourage innovation, make effective use of public money and recognise existing expertise and capacity within the sector.
He also highlighted the timetable for the proposed National Care Service, arguing that although Baroness Casey’s Commission will help determine the future shape of the system, work should begin immediately on areas including commissioning, workforce reform, regulation, NHS integration and the financial sustainability of care.
Dementia organisations welcome commitment to reform
Michelle Dyson CB, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Society, described the announcement as potentially a “historic turning point” for people affected by dementia.
She said families had been placed under considerable pressure by inconsistent support and difficult decisions about caring for relatives, and argued that people living with dementia must be central to the development of the proposed service.
According to Ms Dyson, this should include access to high-quality care when required, a skilled workforce with dementia expertise and improved support for unpaid carers.
She said the success of the reforms would ultimately be measured by whether people living with dementia and their families received the care and support they needed.
Dementia UK also called for changes to begin without delay.
Andrew Pike, Deputy Director of Campaigns, Policy and Public Affairs at Dementia UK, said a more person-centred and high-quality approach to social care could improve the lives of millions of people affected by dementia in England.
He highlighted the need for joined-up health and social care, with coordinated and proactive support extending from diagnosis through to end of life.
Health Foundation highlights funding challenge
Dr Jennifer Dixon, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, said the proposed reforms represented an opportunity to create a fairer and more generous system for older and disabled people, their families and carers.
However, she stressed that significant questions remained about how reform would be funded and how costs would be shared.
Dr Dixon said it was not yet clear what would be included within the State’s offer under a new National Care Service, but argued that additional public investment would be required if the Government was to create a more universal system.
She also highlighted the pressures currently facing people who either go without the care they need, use their savings to fund care or rely heavily on unpaid support from family and friends.
She called for sustained political leadership to turn the proposed vision into a functioning system, with cross-party support for reform.
NCF backs greater role for not-for-profit care
Liz Jones, Deputy Chief Executive and Policy Director at the National Care Forum (NCF), welcomed the Prime Minister’s emphasis on social care as an essential public service and his recognition of the contribution made by care workers.
The NCF said it wanted not-for-profit care and support to have a central role within the proposed National Care Service and highlighted opportunities for the Government to support growth in the not-for-profit sector over the next decade.
Ms Jones also pointed to the importance of the Casey Commission and the public consultation being undertaken through the “Big Conversation on Care” in helping determine how the future system should operate.
She argued that the care sector could also contribute to the Government’s wider ambitions around employment and economic growth, particularly through opportunities for young people to develop careers in care and support.
Age UK welcomes ambition but highlights wider financial security
Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, welcomed the Government’s commitment to social care reform and described a modern system free at the point of use as a potentially significant change for older and disabled people and their families.
However, she stressed that social care could not be considered in isolation from the wider financial position of older people.
Age UK also raised concerns about proposed changes to the State Pension Triple Lock from 2030 and argued that the impact on people reliant on the State Pension would need to be considered carefully.
Ms Abrahams said pensioner poverty remained a concern and called for greater attention to ensuring that older people on the lowest incomes received the benefits to which they were entitled.
Funding and implementation now come into focus
Across the responses, there is broad recognition of the need for substantial reform of England’s social care system, alongside differing emphases on how a future National Care Service should operate.
Common themes include the need for sustainable long-term funding, improved pay and recognition for care workers, better integration between health and social care, stronger support for unpaid carers and a system capable of meeting the needs of both older people and working-age adults requiring lifelong support.
The responses also underline that the announcement represents the beginning of a potentially lengthy process rather than the immediate creation of a fully operational National Care Service.
