The Health Foundation responds to new announcements made by the Prime Minister on social care
Responding to new announcements made by the Prime Minister on social care, Hugh Alderwick, Director of Policy and Research at the Health Foundation, said:
‘Bringing forward the deadline for Casey's review is a welcome and much needed decision. The previous 2028 deadline was always a problem because it risked the commission’s recommendations coming dangerously close to the next general election or simply being kicked into the long grass. As Andy Burnham knows too well, previous plans for social care reform have often come undone close to or during election campaigns.
‘The focus on the social care workforce is also welcome. Around 1 in 20 of all workers in England work in social care. Care workers – who are mostly women – have poor pay and conditions and around 20% live in poverty. 77% of the public agree care workers are paid too little. Existing government plans for fair pay agreements are an important part of addressing these challenges. But success relies on funding and incentives, including for providers to comply with new rules and staff to stay and progress in the sector. Current government funding of £500m for the first fair pay agreement equates to only roughly 20p extra an hour per worker, so Burnham is right that further reform to improve training and progression will be needed too.
‘The list of policy problems to be fixed in social care is long: too many people going without the care they need, poor pay and conditions for staff, a high reliance on unpaid carers, some people facing catastrophic care costs, and more. Burnham's clarity and conviction in naming these problems is critical. But now the question is what the reforms to address them will actually look like. What's the offer for the population, how will it be funded, and how will it be organised and delivered? None of these questions are simple, and there's no escaping the fact that a more generous and comprehensive system will require extra government investment.
‘The Prime Minister’s leadership will be crucial in demonstrating why this is an investment worth making. The commitment to taking a cross-party approach to reform is the right one – and the other parties will need to step up to support the change needed.’
Media contact
Jessica Clinkett
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