Last week the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, set out his commitment to reform adult social care and deliver a National Care Service.
Speaking at a care home in Golders Green on 29 July, he recognised that it requires fresh thinking and cross-party collaboration to make long-term reform possible.
Most of us have our own personal interaction with social care, either for ourselves or for family or friends. The Prime Minister talked about his – the excellent care shown to his father – and paid huge tribute to the care workforce and the work of great care organisations around the country. But he also recognised that there are fundamental issues to tackle, highlighting unacceptable levels of unmet need, the high costs of care and the importance of more support for the social care workforce.
Key to reforming the adult social care system will be the findings of the Independent Commission led by Baroness Louise Casey, which was set up last year to look at both shorter-term improvements to the social care system and the bigger questions that will lead us to a National Care Service. The Prime Minister announced that the Commission’s work will now be accelerated, delivering its report by summer 2027. The Prime Minister also announced that he will hold cross party talks with the leaders of the Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties.
The Prime Minister also made clear that the government will not wait until next summer to continue improving the social care system. He and the Secretary of State for Health, Yvette Cooper, talked about a new group bringing together all relevant ministers from across government, including the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to drive progress. This will include looking at ways to broaden the Fair Pay Agreement into a bigger reform to bring the workforce closer to NHS standards in terms of pay and progression routes; and ensuring tangible progress is made on the recommendations Baroness Casey has made already on improving support for those with dementia and motor neurone disease and strengthening adult safeguarding.
The Big Conversation on CareBaroness Casey also launched the ‘Big Conversation on Care’ last week, running until April 2027. This extensive engagement exercise presents a major opportunity for people with lived experience, families, carers and the wider public, to give their views on the future of adult social care and the big questions that underpin its reform.
While Baroness Casey’s work is independent of government, I would urge you all to get involved with The Big Conversation on Care and to share this opportunity to steer the future of adult social care in this country with your networks – professionally and personally. You can find more information on the ‘The Big Conversation on Care’ at the Commission’s website.
https://socialcare.blog.gov.uk/2026/08/06/the-prime-ministers-commitment-to-adult-social-care/
seen at 11:42, 6 August in Social care.