The good news today about social care reform is that an independent commission will start in April 2025. The bad news is that the final report will not be published until 2028. Given the state of social care in the UK many had hoped reform of social care services would be a priority for this relatively new government.
Nevertheless, Baroness Louise Casey will chair the commission and she has successfully led other challenging reviews, and has a good reputation within government for getting things done and having good connections with all political parties.
Her challenge now is to develop an affordable plan for a National Care Service for the UK’s increasingly ageing population. This long-overdue review will take longer than care providers would like but that blow has been softened slightly by government plans to immediately make changes that include extra funding for services to help elderly and disabled people remain in their homes.
That is one very good piece of news for all of us here at the Live-in Care Hub who have long advocated for care at home as a better alternative to care homes because of the benefits of live-in care to health and well-being.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the government’s objective is “a new National Care Service, able to meet the needs of older and disabled people into the 21st Century”. To ensure consensus across all political parties, Streeting has invited opposition parties to take part in the commission, and believes all parties are willing to work together to find the right solution to the current problems in the social care system. Clearly, this is no easy challenge and whilst there is political consensus about the crisis in the care system, how reform of the system will be funded could prove a stumbling block.
The October 2024 budget promised additional social care funding and the government also recently confirmed an extra £86m would be available this financial year to support elderly and disabled people to receive the care they need in their own home. They also announced plans to establish national standards to support elderly people to live at home for longer.
Paying for your care
In the meantime, providing care at home will continue to be our focus here at the Live-in Care Hub. With a growing number of people having to pay for their own care, we believe it makes sense to find the very best care possible. Our research shows that care in your own home – either as home care visits or 24/7 live-in care – offers the best opportunity to live a healthier later life with independence and dignity.
