Learning disability charity supports the Archbishops’ Commission’s call for a care covenant

The Archbishops’ Commission has launched a new report, ‘Care and Support Reimagined: A National Care Covenant for England’, which has gained support from a learning disability charity in its call for a National Care Covenant.

In April 2021, the Archbishops’ Commission was launched by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Its latest report calls for a National Care Covenant to set out the roles and responsibilities of government, communities, families, and individuals.

The report argues that tackling negative attitudes to ageing and disability is crucial to reimagining care and support, alongside urging politicians, communities, and other organisations to take action to help transform care and support in the UK.

To create the report, nine experts were tasked with reimagining care and support in a way that addressed the needs and concerns of everyone involved: people who draw on care and support; people who work in the social care sector; and people who care for their family members, friends, and neighbours.

Over 18 months, the commission spoke to people who get care and support and those who give care and support, including academics, policymakers, and politicians, which helped the commission discover what the existing challenges and frustrations are as well as how people could flourish and live full lives.

The unique element of the report is that it calls for a covenant, which would clearly and simply set out the rights and responsibilities of everyone involved in care. A covenant would make clear the role of citizens, families, communities, and the State both in providing care and paying for it.

Kirsty Matthews, CEO of national learning disability charity Hft, has responded to the report: “At Hft, we are happy to hear that care and support is a priority for the Archbishops’ Commission. With a social care system currently at breaking point, facing a perfect storm of growing demand and severe staffing shortages, we welcome the long-term vision of Care and Support Reimagined.

“Whilst the Government has attempted social care reform in the short-term, most recently with its announcement of an extra £250m to pay for care home beds, there has been little to no meaningful reform that adequately addresses the long-term challenges facing our sector. The Archbishops’ Commission’s long-term vision is therefore both refreshing and necessary to ensure the sustainability of our sector.

“A significant 55 percent increase in vacancies in our sector in just one year is highlighted in the report – a statistic that will likely only improve with funding to cover a wage which accurately reflects the complexity and skill of work in our sector. Currently, care providers are caught in the middle because they are beholden to cash-strapped local authorities for funding, making any competitive rise in staff pay almost impossible.”

Hft says that the Archbishop’s report also focuses on the negative attitudes people receiving care and support might face, including adults with a learning disability, highlighting that such attitudes are a barrier to meaningful change.

Kirsty continued: “We sincerely agree that no one should be held back because of a disability. The backbone of Hft is the belief in a world where anyone with a learning disability can live within their community with all the choice and support they need to live the best life possible.

“We would like to see a shift in attitudes away from existing stigma to ensure this is possible. This, alongside long-term Government reform, will ensure the sustainability of our sector, both for social care staff and those who receive support.

“It is also salient to note the report’s emphasis on a person-centred approach; we know from our very own Personalised Technology team that championing this approach is vital to shaping care and support for each individual and enabling adults with learning disabilities to live independently. Those who receive support are the epicentre of our sector and must be considered, in depth, when it comes to a long-term attitudinal shift and reform.

“Only when all of these things fall into place, in the long-term, can we be confident in the sustainability of our sector.”

Hft has been working towards creating a pivotal digital solution for the future of national social care planning and policy using assistive technology that is tailored to an individual’s needs, otherwise known as personalised technology (PT).