31st January 2025
Adult social care: Steering through change
Adult social care: Steering through change is a forward-looking whitepaper created by the National Care Association (NCA) with support from HCR Law.
Download the report for a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities shaping the adult social care sector.
“For the past decades, those of us working in or with an interest in adult social care have become accustomed to terms such as ‘crisis’, ‘fragile’, ‘tipping point’ and ‘edge of a cliff’.
We applaud the ambition and welcome the independent commission led by Baroness Louise Casey to find the long-term and sustainable solutions that are needed.
Despite the challenges we face, we have the appetite to ensure that we start to consider and put forward solutions. We were delighted to be able to bring together esteemed experts from the sector to put this paper together, and I am grateful to HCR Law for its ongoing support to do so.
The paper explores the funding, workforce and regulatory challenges that face the adult social care sector. It also considers how to overcome the challenges and create a thriving, robust sector that’s fit for purpose, and reconfirms the sector’s commitment to playing our part in overcoming the challenges and delivering the rewards.”
Nadra Ahmed CBE
Executive Co-Chairman, National Care Association
“This whitepaper grew out of a roundtable discussion convened by the National Care Association and in partnership with HCR Law.
It considered the significant changes occurring across both macro and micro-environments that directly impact the adult social care sector. Importantly, it also explored solutions to address the issues and ensure the sector can effectively steer through change.
The whitepaper paints a vivid picture of the sector and, more importantly, its willingness to make and drive the changes that are needed.”
Rebecca Leask
Partner and Head of Healthcare, HCR Law
Adult social care: Steering through change examines the funding, workforce and regulation challenges facing adult social care.
The question of funding
The Health Foundation estimates there is currently at least an £8.4 billion annual funding gap for adult social care.
This gap will widen as the Chancellor’s 2024 Budget announcements come into effect. In the longer term, problems will only worsen as the demand for care increases in line with an ageing population. More urgently than ever, we need to have the difficult conversation about funding.
The impact on the sector’s most important resource
Challenges, particularly around pay and conditions, create significant stress and financial hardship for the 1.6 million dedicated professionals who work in adult social care.
Consequently, there is a longstanding issue with recruitment and retention. Government investment is needed to implement the recommendations in the Skills for Care workforce strategy.
The issue of regulation
Individuals accessing care, their families, loved ones and taxpayers all need to trust that the social care and support sector is held to high, consistent national standards.
A powerful opportunity to leave a huge legacy
It is widely recognised that the long-term solution to the crisis in adult social care is the establishment of a National Care Service.
But immediate action is needed in the short term to safeguard both service users and the sector itself. The mission is to create a sustainable and effective care system for the future.
