This week the Health and Social Care Select Committee have published their long-awaited report otherwise known as ‘Adult Social Care Reform: the cost of inaction’.
The report was published on Monday 5th May and gives a disturbing, yet supremely real, account of the consequences that will unfold if the government continue to neglect our adult social care system.
Members of Parliament’s cross-party Health and Social Care Committee have warned that without action ‘we fear that the reforms that come out of the Casey Commission will be doomed to failure, leaving everyone continuing to suffer under the current unsustainable system.’
One of the main concerns that dominates the majority of the report is the official lack of data held by the government relating to social care. Experts have claimed ministers have failed to conduct proper research into what the potential benefits of a reformed system might be and cannot assess which social care interventions would result in the highest returns.
The concerns that are woven throughout the document have likewise been echoed by industry experts since it was published. Emily Holzhausen, director of policy and public afford at Carers UK, said: ‘This report could not have come at a better time, at the start of the Casey Commission, providing robust analysis of the gaps that need to be tackled by government.
‘Carers UK strongly welcomes the report’s recognition of unpaid carers’ role within the social care system, which our research estimated at £184billion a year, and the huge impact that it has on them when social care falls short. Its recommendation of a dedicated workstream within the Casey Commission to focus on better support for unpaid carers is timely and necessary.’
News of the report has come as the Casey Commission – an independent commission on adult social care that is being chaired by Baroness Louise Casey – has formally commenced. The initiative is due to be split into two phases focused on medium and long-term fixes for improving the state of care in England.
‘For carers, change and better support cannot come soon enough. Our research effectively shows a health crisis amongst unpaid carers providing very substantial amounts of care and 1.2 million unpaid carers are in poverty, with 400,000 in deep poverty,’ Emily continued.
Meanwhile, the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) was also involved in shaping the new report – members submitted written evidence to the inquiry in December 2024 and their chief executive Kathryn Smith OBE gave oral evidence in January 2025.
‘Whilst the inquiry could not estimate the full cost that we, as a country, are paying for inaction, the case for change is clear,’ Kathryn remarked upon the publication of the report. ‘This report providers further sobering confirmation of the deep and systematic challenges facing the social care sector. This evidence is clear: inaction is not an option for the people who rely on care and support, unpaid carers, our NHS and the economy.
‘When properly resourced and delivered with compassion and expertise, social care is not a burden on the economy – it is a vital investment in people’s lives and communities. High-quality social care transforms lives, enabling people to live with greater independence, dignity and purpose.
‘The social care system may by ‘broken’, but it is not beyond repair.’
The full report can be accessed here.
Photo by Ani Kolleshi via UnSplash
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