FOR NURSING AND RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES
W W W. T H E C A R E R U K . C O M
THECARERUK
THECARERUK
THECARER_UK
Issue 224
Government Launches Independent Commission to Reform Social Care
The UK Government has unveiled plans to establish a new independent commission dedicated to addressing the pressing challenges within adult social care and formulating long-term reform strategies. The commission will provide a blueprint for a revitalized care system designed to meet current and future demands, aiming to "build consensus" for a proposed National Care Service and will be based on “uniform national standards, ensuring consistent and equitable care provision across the country.” The initiative aims to engage care recipients, families, staff, politicians, and representatives from public, private, and voluntary sectors to shape a robust framework for adult social care. Alongside the announcement, the Department of Health and Social Care has pledged a series of other changes to adult social care, including: • As reported in the Autumn Statement, Increasing the 2024-25 budget for the dis-
abled facilities grant (DFG) by £86m, to £711m, to fund more home adaptations for disabled and older people to enable them to remain independent for longer. • Skilling up social care staff to carry out more health tasks, such as blood pressure checks, to reduce the need for people to travel to NHS settings. • Developing a shared digital platform for health and social care to enable staff to share information in a timely fashion. • Creating national standards and guidance on the use of technology in social care to enable people needing care, families and providers to choose the most effective and safe tools. • Reforming the Better Care Fund – which pools a portion of NHS and local authority budgets – to focus it on tackling emergency admissions, delayed discharges and admissions to long-term residential care. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)