Social care essentials: the government action needed now

Following the election in July, there was a cautious sense of optimism within the social care sector. Could we be looking at a five-year term with a government that has a significant majority, a set of commitments on social care in their manifesto, and the possibility they may be willing to use their political capital in the pursuit of the recognition and reform of social care?

What do we know so far about the government's intention in relation to social care? A good place to start is to look at the King's Speech. This was a package of 40 Bills and draft Bills that had a big focus on putting in place the infrastructure and regulation needed to unlock economic growth while ensuring fiscal responsibility. There were several pieces of legislation that will be relevant to social care providers. The bills of interest to us are the Employment Rights Bill, the Mental Health Bill, the Skills England Bill, the Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. We will also want to keep a watching brief on the Renters Reform Bill and the Draft Leaseholder and Commonhold Reform Bill. The Employment Rights Bill and the Mental Health Bill especially will have very direct, significant implications for social care organisations, both as employers and providers of care and support. There are some big gaps in the legislative proposals, though, and we at the National Care Forum have a very clear set of policy priorities for the government to deliver in terms of social care.

We support the call from the LGA in their recent White Paper¹ that the social care sector needs immediate investment now to stabilise it. In 2023, the Health Foundation estimated² that meeting future demand, improving access to care and covering the full cost of care could cost £8bn in 2024/2025, rising to at least £18bn by 2032/2033. We are a long way from meeting that under current spending plans.