A new report from the influential
think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), has
today set out its plan to stop the spiralling costs of adult
social care by pivoting towards
prevention.
As adult social care costs continue to
increase – rising to £23.3bn for local authorities in 2023/24 –
alongside additional pressures from an ageing population, there
is an urgent need to be proactive.
This current government's manifesto
commitment to set up a National Care Service is being led by the
Casey Commission, reporting in 2026 and concluding in 2028. The
authors of the IPPR report say this Commission, like all the
previous attempts to fix the crisis in adult social care, will
fail if it doesn't take a radically different approach to the
commissions, reviews and consultations that have preceded
it.
Instead, the government should focus
on supporting independent and healthy lives through a ‘Right to
Live and Age Well', focusing on prevention,
including:
-
Investing in age- and
disability-friendly communities, including exercise groups and
community centres,
to support older people and people with disabilities to stay
healthy and active
-
Assessing the care needs of
all adults turning 65, to diagnose any risks and offer up-front preventive
support before needs escalate
-
Providing further training
and development opportunities to
carers, so they can
provide better, more personalised
care
The authors point towards Japan, which
has the highest proportion of the population aged over 65 in the
G7. On turning 65, people are automatically assessed on their
abilities to care, cook, and look after themselves. Care is then
managed by community comprehensive support centres, which employ
long-term care specialists, care managers, and social
workers.
This model emphasises preventative
care and home-based services, reducing both cost and reliance on
institutional care while supporting family caregivers. As a
result, Japan has half the number of people in care homes as the
UK, despite a much older population.
On the issue of costs, IPPR says a
Dilnot-style cap to individual contributions, with additional
central funding, is a sensible
approach.
Dr Annie Williamson, research
fellow at IPPR, said:
“A proactive approach to adult
social care, including universal MOT-style assessments at 65 and
early support, could help people maintain independence for longer
while reducing long-term
costs.
“A shift to prevention will mean
fewer care home admissions, better quality of life for older
adults, and more sustainable funding. As the UK grapples with
rising demand and strained budgets, this kind of forward-thinking
reform offers a way out.”
Sir Andrew Dilnot, chair of
the 2010 commission into adult social care,
said:
“This paper argues powerfully and
persuasively that good social care provision can be a wonderful
way of enhancing human flourishing. For far far too long we
have had a social care system that fails us all – those who need
care, those who provide care, and those who might need care in
the future. Acting now can transform lives for those with
care needs, create a vibrant and exciting care sector, and
finally fill this yawning and indefensible gap in our collective
welfare provision. Let's do
it.”
