The UK Government recently announced its proposals for social care reform. These plans include an independent commission into adult social care, the intention for a national care service, and new multi-million-pound funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG).

Below, AT Today has covered some of the responses from leading health, care, and assistive technology organisations, including the British Healthcare Trades Association, Skills for Care, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, the County Councils Network, and The Health Foundation.

Responding to the announcement, David Stockdale, Chief Executive of the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), commented: “The BHTA overall welcomes the government’s recent proposals for social care reform.

“The £86 million funding for DFGs is encouraging. Many of our members provide assistive products that facilitate life-changing home adaptations, so this additional funding means that more people can have access to these crucial pieces of equipment.

“However, the BHTA has previously expressed concern about the consequences of the increases in employer National Insurance Contributions and the National Living Wage on businesses.

“We again encourage the government to rethink the impact of these additional costs for businesses – which the government will rely on to deliver this additional activity within the DFG – so that wider health and social care services aren’t negatively impacted as a result.

As for the independent commission, the government shouldn’t overlook the importance of healthcare and assistive technology products in helping people to remain independent and healthy. The right products provided in a timely manner can help avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, enable people to stay in their own homes for longer, and ease pressure off an overworked and under-resourced care sector.

“Our members provide the local expertise, products, and services required to help the government achieve its vision of a national care service that meets the needs of older and disabled people.

“However, the timeline for the commission is a major concern. There is worry about what the impact of ‘kicking the can down the road’ will be for businesses supporting social care and what the landscape will look like if no action is taken until the commission’s final publication date of 2028.

“We invite the government to engage with the BHTA and assistive technology community to see what transformational actions can be implemented now.”

Skills for Care CEO, Oonagh Smyth, reacted: “Skills for Care welcomes the appointment of Baroness Louise Casey to Chair an Independent Commission to help us to build consensus on the huge potential for adult social care to support people in all our communities to live good lives.

We are pleased to see the commitment to both short-term support and long-term reform for adult social care because we need both, and we welcome the focus on the 1.59 million people working in social care.

“We look forward to sharing with the commission the recommendations in the Workforce Strategy that we published last year with key partners from across our diverse sector and are implementing now to ensure that we have the workforce we need for the future.

“Skills for Care has already led the work with DHSC on the Care Workforce Pathway, which will help to ensure that the care workforce is valued, developed and rewarded, and on the guiding principles for delegated healthcare activities. We look forward to working with government to implement these initiatives in full over future years.”

Policy and Public Affairs Lead for England at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), Joseph Brunwin, said: “Social care reform is long overdue, and we welcome the independent commission and consultation on a new national care service. Careful and long-term planning is essential to ensure lasting and effective social care reform.

However, the government should also be looking at the quick wins to make improvements for the people relying on social care now.

“Occupational therapists are involved with almost half of local authority referrals to social care, and over 3000 occupational therapists work within the social care system itself. They play a vital role in enabling people to live independently, reducing hospital discharge delays, and easing pressure on both the NHS and social care services.

“We’re encouraged by steps towards a more sustainable and person-centred social care system, but this must be backed up by urgent investment in the occupational therapy workforce so people can receive the care and support they need while long-term reforms take shape.

“Investment in the social care workforce is critical, and more investment and more focus on recruitment and retention is vital. We look forward to working collaboratively with policymakers to support the development of a national care service that is both effective and achievable.”

Cllr Martin Tett, Adult Social Care Spokesperson for the County Councils Network, reacted: “Over the last two decades, wholescale reform of adult social care has never materialised due to unfunded costs and a lack of cross-party support, so efforts to create a long-term plan for reform that has a national consensus are laudable. But in order for reform to be a success, it is vital that the voice of local government, which really understands the issues to be debated, is prominent in this review, and social care remains a local service when the National Care Service is created.

“Social care is complex and frequently misunderstood. It is not just about who pays the care costs of the elderly; it includes the many working age adults with special needs who constitute two thirds of a typical council’s commissioned social care expenditure and also includes the NHS and their responsibilities for support in and outside hospitals. Therefore, it is imperative that this review looks to address all parts of the social care system. This means it must have a wider scope than just looking at care costs for individuals who are not eligible for state care. The review must also consider how any new ‘national’ system would deliver better national standards, and the workforce required.

With the purpose of the National Care Service vague and ill-defined at present, the financial pressures on councils are intense and growing and so our members are clear that their number one priority is sustainable funding for social care alongside a long-term workforce plan.

“As our ‘Manifesto for Counties’ set out, councils must remain at the heart of delivering services, structural changes that are unnecessary and bureaucratic must be avoided, and reforms should develop community care and create more housing with social care at its heart.

“Importantly, we are concerned over the timescales announced today which mean that vital changes will not be introduced for at least three more years. With adult social care under significant pressure at the moment, the system is likely to deteriorate further by 2028 so it is imperative that this year’s Spending Review provides long-term resource for councils to stabilise the system and ensure that the preventative focus of this review becomes a reality, otherwise the National Care Service could fall at the first hurdle.”

Director of Policy at The Health Foundation, Hugh Alderwick, commented: “The adult social care system in England desperately needs reform after decades of political neglect and underfunding. So the government’s promise of a plan for social care is welcome.

“But we have been here before.

The past three decades have seen a long line of reports and reviews making recommendations for social care reform, including from government commissions like the one announced today. The result has been delays and broken promises.

“This new commission must move quickly and build on previous policy proposals. Today’s announcement suggests it may be three years before we see recommendations for longer term reform, including to the broken funding system for social care. This risks history repeating itself, with reforms not being implemented and people continuing to suffer.

“Many of the problems in social care are well known – as are options for reform. There is no shortage of existing visions for the sector. What’s needed now is political will and long-term investment to finally implement reform and improve the lives of millions of people and their carers. The new commission must be an opportunity to deliver reform – not delay it.”