Social care: funding and workforce Our submission to the Health and Social Care Select Committee inquiry

Our response to the Health and Social Care Select Committee's inquiry on Social care: funding and workforce.

The adult social care system in England needs fixing and has done for decades. Increasing numbers of people are unable to access social care, there are systemic and significant workforce issues and many care providers are at risk of collapse.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and exacerbated many of the long-standing problems facing the adult social care sector. The full effects of the pandemic are uncertain and will unfold over many months. What is certain, however, is that without funding and more fundamental reform, people and their families – as well as staff – will continue to suffer unnecessarily.

Our submission considers:

• What impact is the current social care funding situation having on the NHS and on people who need social care?
• What level of funding is required in each of the next 5 years to address this?
• What is the extent of current workforce shortages in social care, how will they change over the next 5 years, and how do they need to be addressed?
• What further reforms are needed to the social care funding system in the long term?