Care England and learning disability charity Hft have today published a new report which details the care sector could collapse if the government waits until 2028 to act.
The report comes after the UK government announced plans to introduce a new Social Care Commission, which isn’t due to come into force until 2028. Although Care England and Hft welcomed the news, both organisations agree that time is running out waiting three years to offer concrete solutions to the ongoing crisis isn’t an option.
Findings from the new report, which is otherwise known as the Sector Pulse Check Report, illustrate why this is. To conduct the research, experts surveyed more than 200 adult social care providers who are collectively responsible for supporting over 128,000 people.
‘The government’s recognition of the urgent challenges facing adult social care is a welcome step forward and we look forward to working with Baroness Casey’s commission,’ Steve Veevers, chief executive of Hft, said. ‘However, the sector can ill afford a lengthy process to identify the solutions. The evidence is already clear.’
The results show increasing financial pressures have forced three in ten care providers to close parts of their organisations or hand back contracts to local authorities. What’s more, one-third of providers are considering leaving the market altogether, which would leave an estimated 275,000 people without the care they’re legally entitled to.
As well as financial struggles being a cause for concern, the research also shows recruitment is a sore spot for providers and has been since changes to the UK’s immigration rules were announced.
Prior to the rule changes, 40% of care providers reported that they were able to successfully bridge the staffing gap by recruiting carers internationally.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Professor Martin Green OBE, chief executive of Care England, said: ‘Providers face impossible choices: absorbing unsustainable costs, changing their care models, cutting back on services, or shutting their doors entirely. This isn’t just a warning, it’s a crisis unfolding in real time. Years of unrelenting financial strain and a workforce stretched to breaking point have left social care hanging by a thread. Without immediate intervention, the consequences will be devastating for those who rely on care every single day.’
With the highlighted issues in mind, Care England and Hft are calling on the government to implement two key policy asks. These include:
- Committing to a multi-year settlement for adult social care in the 2025 spending review.
- Introducing a fully funded plan to support the care workforce and bring staffs pay and conditions in line with their NHS counterparts.
To help make these recommendations reality, Care England and Hft suggest authorities consider fully funding the increase in employer National Insurance contributions or exempting care providers. They’re also asking ministers to axe the ban on recruiting internationally and implement mandatory payment timelines for council and Integrated Care Board payments, with penalties issued for delays.
‘Carers deserve a workforce strategy that serves as a testament to their unwavering dedication – a blueprint for meaningful change that ensures they’re properly paid, given real opportunities for development, and recognised for their vital contributions to society,’ Professor Green continued.
‘This requires not just funding but a cross-party commitment to implement transformative, long-term solutions for the sector.’
Echoing a similar tone, Phil Baigent, partner and head of care at Freeths, told Social Care Today that care staff and providers deserve more than a plan that will take three years to launch.
‘With an incredible sense of déjà vu, not for the first time it appears that social care reform is being kicked down the road,’ he said. ‘Whilst no one underestimates the task in hand, but to have to wait another four years for a report which many will know already what it is going to say, won’t sit easy with the majority of the sector. News of the independent commission is welcome of course, but tangible action would, I’m sure, be more welcome.’
The full report from Care England and Hft can be accessed here.
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