Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 28
28
Accepted
Explore and implement fundamental reforms for social care funding and delivery methods
Recommendation
The next Government must ensure that it explores all options for fundamental reform of funding and delivery of social care services and implements reforms that address the underlying causes of the acute funding and delivery pressures that local authorities are currently facing. The Government should also explore how the structure of local authorities, including for example moving to unitary authorities, may alleviate financial pressures currently facing local authorities. (Paragraph 149) Financial distress in local authorities 47
Government Response Summary
The government outlines its ongoing commitment to extensive system-wide social care reform, citing the People at the Heart of Care white paper, £700 million investment for adult social care, new CQC assessments, and £200 million for children's social care reforms through Pathfinders.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
56. The Government supports the case for extensive system wide reform and that is why we are fully committed to the ten-year vision for adult social care set out in the People at the Heart of Care white paper. We want to ensure that everyone can access high quality care that enables choice, control and independence. The government is investing up to £700 million over two years, building on £100 million spent in 2022-23, to make major improvements to the adult social care system. 57. Our progress includes implementing a landmark shift in how we hold local authorities to account for the adult social care they provide. The new duty for CQC to assess how local authorities are delivering their Care Act duties has gone live, and we have also made progress on our plans to transform data, including introducing a new national, person-level data collection. 58. We have also increased uptake of digital adult social care records from 40% in December 2021 to over 60%, which enables secure sharing of information across health and care services and frees up time for care staff. In January this year we unveiled a package of workforce measures including the launch of the first ever national Care Workforce Pathway; over £50 million for a new Level 2 Adult Social Care qualification; over £20 million for new social work and nurse apprenticeships; and a new digital leadership qualification for social care leaders and managers on the use of technology in the delivery of care. 59. On children’s social care, as previously set out the Government is committed to delivering substantive reform to the system. But change does not happen overnight; we need to make sure our set of interventions in Stable Homes Built on Love work, and that is why we are spending these two years leading up to the next Spending Review, backed with £200 million in additional investment, to trial reforms through Pathfinders. 60. As the Government continues to deliver its reform programme, we will explore the case for increased investment where the evidence demonstrates we must do so.