Successive governments asleep at the wheel
At the National Children and Adult Services Conference in Liverpool today, Baroness Casey set out and responded to findings of new research showing how no one is in charge of England’s adult social care sector.
The research on the governance of social care, written for the Commission by the Nuffield Trust and the Institute for Government, shows England is an international outlier. Compared to comparable countries like France, Germany, and Japan, it has no clear ‘system stewardship’ for social care.
“The Covid-19 Inquiry took apart the argument that a “protective ring” had been thrown around care homes during the pandemic. Many old people died without their loved ones by their side. Many care workers left their jobs after what they had seen. It is a national shame that this was allowed to happen. It should never happen again. Successive governments have been asleep at the wheel. In research we’re publishing today the lack of ‘stewardship’ of social care comes through clearly. No one is in charge. Together, we can build a new settlement for care. One based on values I still believe this country shares: decency, contribution, and a duty to care for our neighbours, our loved ones and ourselves.
