Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 85
Stakeholders have called for adult social care reform for years, and we commend the Government...
Recommendation
Stakeholders have called for adult social care reform for years, and we commend the Government for introducing many welcome initiatives such as around housing and data that could make a significant difference in the long-term. We are also pleased that many stakeholders welcome the Government’s vision for what good care looks like and how care is experienced by those receiving care and their families. However, the Government currently has nothing more than a vision. We are alarmed that so much of the detail within the People at the Heart of Care White Paper has yet to be worked out, and that there is no roadmap, no timetable, no milestones, and no measures of success. We note that the Health and Social Care Committee has called for a 10-year plan for adult social care in three separate reports since October 2020. The Government should publish a 10-year plan for how its vision in the People at the Heart of Care White Paper will be achieved, taking into account how the different policies interweave and affect one another. The plan should be co- produced with people with lived experience of receiving care and providing care, paid and unpaid. The Government should manage this set of reforms, alongside charging reforms, as a programme, and identify a Senior Responsible Officer. It should publish key milestones, a timetable, and measures of success, and report annually on progress to Parliament.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government notes that the Older People’s Housing Task Force will provide an opportunity to consider detailed evidence of the operation of the planning system in supporting housing for older people and whether any changes are required, including in respect of use classes, but makes no firm commitments.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
85
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
The People at the Heart of Care white paper, published in December 2021, set out a 10-year vision for adult social care. The vision has person-centred care at its core and revolves around three principles. First, people should have choice, control and support to live independent lives. Second, people should be able to access outstanding quality and tailored care and support. Third, adult social care should be fair and accessible. This is a shared vision that was shaped by national and local government, care providers, care staff, the NHS, people who draw on care and support, their friends and family, charities and the voluntary sector. This government remains fully committed to that vision and we have set out plans for the next stage of social care reform and improvement backed by over £2.1 billion over the next two years. On 4 April we published Next Steps to Put People at the Heart of Care, which sets out some of the action we are taking over the next two years to take the next step on our reform journey. Our activity will include improving access to care and support, workforce recognition and development, digital transformation, improving data and accountability, supporting unpaid carers, joining up health and care services, and supporting people to remain independent at home. The plan includes more information on our policies, key milestones for reform and a timetable for the next two years. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the impact of reforms, to ensure that they make a difference to the people who interact with social care. Government response 21 The Director General of ASC Group, Michelle Dyson, is the Executive Sponsor for the Adult Social Care Reform Portfolio. Each reform programme working within the portfolio has a programme director responsible for delivery objectives. By 2025 we will have made real change, particularly in how adult social care is planned for and commissioned. This will be backed by increased accountability through better data insights and local authority assessments. The People at the Heart of Care white paper, recognised that our vision is ambitious and will not be realised overnight. The proposals outlined will not solve all of the challenges facing social care, but they are a significant step in moving us towards a new vision for social care that the whole of government is committed to. Spending decisions beyond the next two years will be a decision for government at future spending reviews. In tandem with our reform activity, we are taking action to ensure that adult social care is adequately funded to meet ongoing pressures as set out above. Conclusion 20 – distribution of £5.4 billion for social care reform Conclusion 20 - The lack of information about how the reforms add up to £5.4 billion, why each reform was allocated the amount it was allocated, and how funding will be distributed, does little to instil confidence that the Government has thought through its plans. We have expressed our concerns numerous times about the unrealistic demands of requiring councils to compete for relatively small pots of funding, which larger and better funded authorities can win.
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