“We do not need a new Commission to tell us what we already know”

The Government announced new independent commission into adult social care to inform its plans for ‘deep reform’, including a National Care Service.

The commission, to be chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, will report to the Prime Minister, and will work with people drawing on care and support, families, staff, politicians and the public, private and third sector to make clear recommendations for how to rebuild the adult social care system to meet the current and future needs of the population.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said that the UK’s ageing society means that costs of care set to double in the next 20 years.

“The independent commission will work to build a national consensus around a new national care service able to meet the needs of older and disabled people into the 21st century,” Streeting said.

The Government says its commission, which is expected to begin in April 2025, will form a key part of the its Plan for Change which hopes to ‘turn around health and care services’, starting with cutting waiting lists and coupled with reform so they are fit for the future.

Split over two phases, the commission will set out a vision for adult social care, with recommended measures and a roadmap for delivery.

The first phase, reporting in 2026, will identify the critical issues facing adult social care and set out recommendations for effective reform and improvement in the medium term.

The second phase, reporting by 2028, will make longer-term recommendations for the transformation of adult social care. It will build on the commission’s first phase to look at the model of care needed to address our ageing population, how services should be organised to deliver this, and how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system for all.

Opposition parties have been invited to take part in the commission, with the aim of building a cross-party and national consensus on the responsibilities the state and individuals have for social care, how to meet the rising demands caused by an ageing population, and how best to structure the national care service.

“I have written to opposition parties to invite them to take part in the commission’s work, and asked Baroness Louise Casey to build a cross-party consensus, to ensure the national care service survives governments of different shades, just as our NHS has for the past 76 years,“ the Health Secretary continued.

Many in the social work and social care sector are questioning whether another commission or inquiry will lead to a solution for the thorny issue.
Successive governments have attempted to tackle the issue. Boris Johnson, entering the office of Prime Minister in 2019 vowed to “fix social care once and for all”, which already indicated the frustration building around the issue. Five and a half years on and very little has changed.

BASW England, the professional association representing social workers in England, said it strongly questions the government’s decision to establish a new commission on adult social care reform.

“We do not need a new Commission to tell us what we already know. The evidence of the challenges in adult social care and the solutions required has been available for decades. What the sector needs now is action—not another delay disguised as progress,” the organisation said in a statement.

“This is the third independent Commission on adult social care reform in 30 years, yet meaningful change has failed to materialise. Previous commissions, including the Royal Commission on Long Term Care and the Dilnot Commission, provided clear and actionable recommendations. These were either ignored or abandoned, leaving the sector in a perpetual state of crisis.”

Other points of contention are the schedule, with the final report not due until 2028, and an ongoing downplaying of the continued disparity in how health, social care, and social work are treated.

Maris Stratulis, National Director BASW England, said they were committed to working with Baroness Casey, but that the demand and significant funding shortfalls cannot be underestimated.

“The impact of workforce shortages, high workloads and unmet care need cannot be put on hold any longer. Investment in strengthening place based holistic community support, promotion of choice and person-centred rehabilitation and care including support for paid and unpaid carers must be at the heart of the reform agenda. This must be alongside delivering tangible support for social workers through better working conditions and increased investment in the profession.”