Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 25
25
Deferred
Department lacks long-term funded plan and milestones for its social care vision
Recommendation
The NAO reported that the 2021 white paper set a 10-year ‘vision’ for transforming adult social care, but that the Department had no long-term funded plan for achieving it and no milestones beyond the end of the current Spending Review period, March
Government Response Summary
The government states the recommendation is implemented, highlighting progress towards the 10-year vision and learning from reforms to inform future plans. They commit to working with HM Treasury and DLUHC to ensure the next spending review delivers a sustainable long-term funding package for Adult Social Care.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 3.2 The department is making good progress towards the 10-year vision for adult social care set out in the People at the Heart of Care white paper. The department is learning from the first phase of reform, to inform plans for the next spending review period and beyond. The department is also monitoring the impact of the additional funding provided in this spending review period, with a total of up to £8.6 billion made available across two financial years. This is alongside reforms to local government accountability and data transparency, that will shed further light on local performance, all of which will inform the department’s spending review preparations. 3.3 The department recognises the value of providing longer term certainty of funding to local authorities. The 2021 Spending Review set out funding for local government for three years, providing the same level of certainty as for government departments. The government will always seek to provide as much certainty as possible for local authorities when providing funding for delivering services, whilst maintaining flexibility to respond to unexpected pressures. 3.4 The department will work with HM Treasury and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to make sure the next spending review delivers a sustainable funding package for Adult Social Care.