Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock is expected to urge clearer national stewardship of England’s adult social care system, saying fragmented oversight leaves care standards and access uneven, The Guardian reported.
Casey chairs the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, which says its remit is to recommend reforms at the prime minister’s request. The Guardian reported that Casey plans to tell a conference that “no one is in charge” and call for a “new settlement” grounded in values such as “decency, contribution and a duty to care.”
Research by the Nuffield Trust and the Institute for Government found that poorly defined responsibilities make policy changes harder and slower, The Guardian reported. The research also cautioned that reorganizing the system alone would not be enough without a clear purpose and political commitment.
The Guardian said successive governments’ limited attention to adult care has compounded the stewardship problem. It also reported that private providers have taken on a larger role while regulation has often been ineffective. The Guardian cited the COVID-19 inquiry’s findings, including more than 43,000 deaths involving COVID-19 recorded in UK care homes from March 2020 through July 2022, a subject covered in EconoTimes’ earlier report on the inquiry’s care-home findings.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham moved the review’s expected completion to 2027, 12 months ahead of the timetable set by the government led by then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer, The Guardian reported. Burnham has said savings from ending the state pension triple lock would help fund a care service modeled on Scotland’s free personal care system, with individuals paying for “bed and board.”
Labour is expected to include a national care service plan in its next election manifesto, The Guardian reported. The review is expected to conclude in 2027.
