General election asks
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Our aims
When the 2024 General Election was called, we wanted to send a clear message to all political parties and decision makers about what needs to change so that adult social care can better enable people to live their best lives. These were based on our three priority areas, and included a series of two, five and 10-year aims:
We know change can’t be achieved overnight, which is why we have given a two, five and ten-year target, to scale up ambition.
With these calls we hope to inspire the public and politicians to support and drive forward the changes we need to transform adult social care.
1. Fair pay and conditions for the social care workforce
In two years:
Improve the pay terms of social care workers.
Value the people who work in care in the same way we value the people who work in other sectors by ensuring that councils, providers and individual employers have the resources to pay care workers, the majority of whom are women, above National Living Wage – which must be funded nationally. A clear fully funded plan should be laid out within the First 100 Days of a new Government.
In five years:
A national strategy to solve the social care staffing crisis.
By the end of the next Parliament, we want a clear fully funded plan being implemented to recruit, train and retain the social care workforce we’ll need across England to provide the quality care and support for everyone to live the life they want. That will mean more social workers, occupational therapists and other practitioners who support people to stay well at home and in their community.
In ten years:
A social care workforce to deliver world class care and support.
Implementation of the fully-funded workforce plan means we have enough people with the right skills, in the right place to ensure people can have choice and control over how they live their lives, both now and in the future.
2. A new deal for carers
In two years:
More support on things that matter to carers.
Carers have sufficient support and care so they are not overwhelmed. There is more funding for short breaks, legal advice and advocacy, and other support which helps them improve their wellbeing. We’re responding to what carers need, as set out in the Care Act. As more carers are identified, this support reaches more people – and advice and guidance is personalised.
In five years:
A simpler system, set up to help carers.
Remove key barriers that prevent carers from providing support, including improving Carers Allowance to a level more like Employment Support Allowance. And implementing a straightforward, co-designed system that provides easy access to information and advice and supports them at every stage of their caring journey.
In ten years:
A new deal for carers so they can all live well, work and care.
Implementation of a fully-funded plan for carers. Meaning that carers have access to the support they need to care for their relative or friend, and the choices and support to live the life they want to lead. That means paid leave and flexibility at work, support to enable carers to enter or re-join the workforce if they so choose, financial support when they need it, support for their health and wellbeing, and access to opportunities that might otherwise be inaccessible including education.
3. Early support, closer to home
In two years:
Investment in digital, technology and data that makes care more responsive to people.
A boost for councils and other organisations investing in digital, technology and data to give people more choice, control and information about the care and support available to them, as well as personalised advice to help them plan for the future. New approaches and products are independently evaluated, data is equitably accessible across organisations and funds are available to scale-up the best solutions.
In five years:
Houses that help people stay independent and live well.
The funding and political backing to ensure new houses are built to be easily adapted, existing housing is adapted to meet peoples changing needs and that there is more choice and control for people who need different kinds of home or supported living arrangements so they can live well and get the care and support they need.
In ten years:
Social care that proactively helps us all live well, for longer.
Shift resources to provide early support to many more people in their homes and communities so people are empowered to maintain their well- being for longer, which prevents illness or them getting to a crisis point where they need hospital or residential care. A social care system that helps people live the life they want, supported by multi-disciplinary teams in their communities.