Tomorrow, the Casey Commission on Adult Social Care will publish
a report by the Nuffield Trust and
Institute for Government on the governance of social care in
England. This is the first in a series of research reports
commissioned by Baroness Casey. It explores lessons from other
countries and other public services.
Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Research and report
co-author, Natasha Curry said:
Compared to the other countries we looked at, the governance of
England's social care system is confused and complex. Overlapping
and unclear roles leave dangerous uncertainty around who is
responsible for important decisions, contributing to the inertia
around reform England has struggled with for decades. The serious
consequences of this were laid bare during the Covid pandemic.
There is not a singular correct' way of organising a care system
other countries vary in their approaches but we need a clear
vision on how to untangle the chaotic structure the sector has
currently. The Casey Commission now has the opportunity to tackle
these weaknesses head on. Looking to international examples is a
solid starting point, as governance arrangements in other systems
allow for more strategic approaches to things like workforce
planning and regulating organisations that provide care.
Institute for Government Associate Director, Stuart
Hoddinott said:
The system for governing adult social care in England has evolved
haphazardly and with little clear planning. That has been
exacerbated by successive governments ducking politically
unpalatable decisions for decades. That has scattered
responsibility for the sector across and outside government in a
way that few would design from scratch.
While no system is perfect, and all come with trade-offs, the
adult social care sector is unusual compared to other services in
England. There are lessons from those services, about how to
improve accountability or better design funding flows, that could
provide a template for social care reform. Burnham's personal
commitment to reform alongside his devolution agenda provides the
opportunity to better align the sector's form with the
government's desired function.
Notes to Editors
An embargoed copy of the full report is available here.
