The Casey Commission | The Big Conversation on Care

Last week, Baroness Casey of Blackstock launched The Big Conversation on Care, which has been described as the most ambitious public conversation in a generation. It gives the public a direct role in shaping the future of adult social care in England.

This is an opportunity for you to contribute your unique perspective from Oxfordshire.

Between now and April 2027, you have the opportunity to share your views on what you want and expect from a future National Care Service, including answering challenging questions about who it should support, what families and service users should reasonably be expected to do, and how the country should pay for care in a fair and sustainable way.

Baroness Casey has warned that the adult social care system is "broken" and that previous attempts to reform social care have too often failed because they have tried to resolve fundamental questions without first building public understanding and consent.

The Big Conversation aims to engage one million people across England by asking:

"When we are old or disabled, or have a serious illness, who should support us and how?"

Baroness Casey said:

"For too long, we have been stuck in the same cycle: crisis, promises of reform, another review, and then retreat, while the people who need care, and their families, bear the brunt.

“Social care affects every family in this country, whether we need care ourselves, care for someone we love, work in care, or pay for through our taxes.

“That's why I am launching The Big Conversation on Care today. I want people across England to help us face the hard questions about how we can build a National Care Service.

“It is only by listening to the public that we can build the agreement needed for lasting reform."

The first phase of the conversation, running from July to November 2026, will focus on the values and principles we should all expect from a care system and who should be eligible for support. The second phase will focus on how care should be funded and how reform should be delivered.

The results of The Big Conversation will be presented to the Independent Commission and will inform its recommendations, which are due by summer 2027.

Please share your views through The Big Conversation on Care.

Read about this and more in our weekly newsletter from 12 August 2026