Future Health has today launched a long term plan for social care with the Alzheimer’s Society: https://bit.ly/38zAAmC

Modelled on the 2o19 NHS long term plan, the plan has been developed through roundtables and discussions with those who use social care, carers and the wider sector. The plan has 30 recommendations for improving social care over the next 10 years. These actions are staged over three phases – with phase one focused on stabilising social care, phase two energising change through new technology, innovation and investment and phase three realising the benefits of the changes for local communities and people.

The recommendations include:

• Introducing a cap on care costs at the 2021 Spending Review
• By the end of the Parliament using increases in general taxation to fund the delivery of ‘free personalised care’ on a model that aligns with the NHS
• Building a ‘social care sector deal’ including Government, providers, commissioners, innovators, investors and charities to get new investment and innovation into the sector (this would be modelled on the success of life sciences)
• Setting up a pay board in the Department of Health to monitor provider pay and launching a review of the social care provider market to explore ways to get new entrants in that can support care closer to home
• Engaging the public in a new national care conversation and launching new recruitment campaigns to encourage people to work in social care

Richard Sloggett the Founder and Programme Director of Future Health said: “When speaking to people who use social care and carers the over-riding feeling is that the current system is not delivering. It does not allow people to live the lives they want to lead in the places they want to lead them. This long term plan seeks to set out a path to tackle this.

For Government this will require new investment and raising money. The Spending Review is the moment to finally tackle this. This report sets out how by doing so a number of benefits can be realised, not only improved in experiences and outcomes for those in social care but also the positives for local communities, the economy and the environment. After much delay and following the impact of the pandemic now is the time to build a better social care system. This plan can help support this.”

The publication of the plan has been covered in the Times: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/shocking-shortage-of-beds-for-patients-with-dementia-29gtkj5n8