The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Adult Social Care has launched its latest report ‘Future of Care 5’ in Parliament. This is the latest report from the group which I co-chair, summarising policy recommendations from the Social Care Sector.
At the launch event we were also joined by Helen Whately MP, the Minister of State for Social Care, who reassured us on the Government’s commitment to the Adult Social Care Sector. The meeting also heard from Sarah Owen (Labour) who is the new Co-Chair of the APPG and Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat).
Everybody is aware of the value that social care brings to communities and the vital role it plays in helping those who draw on care and support to live fulfilled lives. The Adult Social Care APPG comprises of MPs from across the political spectrum and learns from the voice of lived experience, through the APPG’s Lived Experience Group and through listening to the sector at large. This means that the Adult Social Care APPG is uniquely placed to compile a vision for the future of social care and to broker consensus on the key priorities for social care reform. With an ageing population and increasing demand for care services, the need for strategic planning and innovative solutions has never been more apparent.
Future of Care 5 has been developed following a programme of workshops with a wide range of organisations who have been involved in developing visions for the future of social care.
The five key policy themes of Future of Care 5 are:
- Ensure that care is person-centred and co-produced, prioritising flexibility and the choices of those who draw on care and support.
- Move away from short term emergency funding for social care towards a long-term funding plan for the sector, which recognises the socio-economic importance of investing in social care.
- Develop a fully funded ‘Agenda for Change’ pay scale for social care staff, and a long-term plan for the social care workforce.
- Ensure that the delivery of care is coordinated across communities and that social care is represented on Integrated Care Boards and Integrated Care Partnerships.
- Prioritise innovative forms of adult social care, that are coproduced with those who draw on care and support and include the use of technology where appropriate.
The hope behind this report is to provide an accessible introduction to recurring routes for social care reform and its future transformation.
You can find out more about the work of the APPG on Adult Social Care here.