Why national standards of care matter – and why this feels different

To me, national standards aren’t about squeezing people into a template. They’re a shared promise across health, social care, mental health, and adult support services that the help we get will be consistent, safe, and personal. It’s about making policies real, so they affect the little things that make a house feel like home or a community feel like a place where you belong.

Looking ahead, the Casey Commission and the vision for 2028 make this even clearer. England has the Care Act 2014, but the gap between what we value and what we actually experience is still huge. Standards give us a common reference point for everyone – users, carers, providers, commissioners – guiding us toward the outcomes that matter, even if each community gets there differently.

Standards aren’t a magic fix. They won’t solve staffing crises or funding pressures overnight. But they focus attention on the things that matter: the experiences, outcomes, coordination, and personal goals of people receiving care. They push for learning, improvement, and accountability – not just ticking boxes.

For me, this is personal. Seeing national standards of care celebrated in Parliament signals that care matters, that our lives matter, and that the everyday realities of people like me – navigating multiple identities, juggling needs and support – are worth centring. My hope is that over time, these standards help make care reliable, warm, and responsive – wherever you are, whoever you are, and however your life changes.

Care isn’t just about meeting basic needs. It’s about dignity, safety, belonging, and the room to live your life fully. National standards of care are a promise to make that real – for me, for you, and for every community that deserves to be seen, heard, and genuinely cared for.

Read more about the report and the work that informed it here.