SCIE and TLAP respond to CQC State of Care report

This report is a timely reminder that we do not need to wait for wholesale reform to start building a better social care system. There is much we already know about what works and what needs to change to improve people’s lives. But the report also lays bare the scale of the challenge facing the Casey Commission: not simply to stabilise a system under strain, but to fundamentally rethink how care and support is designed, funded and delivered.
 
Supporting local leaders to build those foundations is critical. Using data and evidence to understand local needs, commissioning services around outcomes rather than activity, and ensuring the voices of seldom-heard and marginalised communities shape decisions are fundamental to how care and support is delivered. Moving beyond pockets of good practice requires empowering local leaders to prioritise addressing the variation in care quality described in this report.
 
Tackling inequalities must run through every part of this work. The report makes clear that people’s experiences of care remain deeply uneven, with access to support too often shaped by where they live, their circumstances and their ability to pay. We cannot allow such factors to determine the quality of care people receive.
 
The report also highlights the consequences of fragmented care. For young people transitioning from children’s to adult services, a lack of coordination can mean disrupted support at a critical point in their lives. No young person should face a cliff edge in care simply because they reach adulthood.

The report’s findings for the well-led key question reinforce the importance of leadership and organisational cultures that put people first. TLAP’s work on well-led with people with lived and living experience, CQC, leaders and the care workforce highlights the importance of honest, transparent and compassionate leadership that turns shared values into everyday practice. This means sharing power through co-production, tackling inequalities, and creating a culture where people feel safe to speak up and can see their contributions lead to change. Good leadership, fair working conditions and a valued, supported workforce are fundamental to trusting relationships and care and support that enables people to have choice and control and live the lives they want. These conditions need sustained investment and support; they cannot depend on the goodwill of the workforce or family and friend carers.