Care sector has seen too many empty promises

From what I'm picking up, the care sector is broadly welcoming of the government's new tweaks to the sector in England (and they are only 'tweaks'), as well as the longer term commission which promises more significant reform.

But after two previous government commissions, one government review, three independent commissions, five white papers and 14 parliamentary committee inquiries... you can understand why they also feel sceptical.

The timeline of the commission means that the final report will be delivered by 2028 - shortly before the next (anticipated) election.

This fits with what the prime minister told me on the ITV Tonight programme during the election campaign in June - reform will be for the next parliament.

For a sector that's already been through hell during the pandemic and heard countless promises of reform since the late 1990s, waiting another three years is quite some ask.

There is also the not insignificant risk that Labour aren't actually in power to deliver the reform, given they'd need to get re-elected first.

Many in the sector feel the problems are already well rehearsed without the need for yet another head-scratching exercise: under-funding, under-pay, a skills and staff shortage, the lottery of who gets council and NHS funding and who must pay out of their life savings.

None of these problems have changed in decades, but have only become worse.

The care sector would much rather skip straight to reform now.

In terms of the more immediate 'tweaks' to the sector, some extra funding (in the tens of millions) is welcome, but the reforms ask more of the care sector for effectively the same overall money.

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In fact, the care sector will see a significant rise in costs when the minimum wage and national insurance contributions for employers both go up in the spring.

Carers will take on more NHS tasks under these new changes, but for no extra pay. Who incentivises them to do that? Who pays for the training? And lastly, can care providers get the insurance necessary to take on much greater responsibility for the health of their clients?

Indeed, the government's own press release says the changes are designed to relieve pressure on the NHS. So, not specifically about helping the social care sector itself then? Nothing irks care providers more than when they play second fiddle to the health service, as we saw during the pandemic.

As one care organisation gravely put it, “The social care sector is on its last legs. Without urgent action, there will be nothing left to reform."

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