SCIE and TLAP support The King’s Fund proposals for a fairer system of social care

Inequities in adult social care are profound and persistent, and they demand urgent action. One of the core values of a caring society is fairness; it is indefensible that the availability and quality of people’s care and support are still inextricably linked to where they live, their socioeconomic circumstances, ethnicity, disability, or gender.

SCIE’s research on care equity finds that these factors interact and accumulate across people’s care journeys, with each creating barriers that make it harder for them to find, access and sustain care around their individual circumstances and aspirations.

SCIE’s research supports the King’s Fund’s recommendation for clearer entitlements, which would clarify people’s rights and responsibilities, help them to understand and navigate the system more easily, and, ultimately, give them greater choice and control.

A fairer care system will also require an honest conversation about funding. There are no easy answers, and difficult trade-offs will be unavoidable. Building greater public understanding of the value of social care and consensus through the Casey Commission will be essential; without taking the public with it, the Government will struggle to put forward a more generous settlement.

The King’s Fund’s proposals, including clearer entitlements to support, a more permissive approach to direct payments, and a greater focus on person-centred care planning, recognise the need to make choice and control a reality for more people who draw on care and support.

People shouldn’t have to fit into whatever services exist in their area. They should be able to decide how they live, who supports them, and how their care is arranged. This is a right that is enshrined in law but not upheld or protected in practice.

We have an opportunity now to design a National Care Service that gives people real power to shape their own support and focuses on their gifts, talents, life, culture, and choices. That means decisions made with people, not for them, and recognising that they are experts in their own experiences.

TLAP and SCIE look forward to working with the Government and partners from across the sector to achieve this.