On the Invisibility of Social Care submission to the House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee

The House of Lords Adut Social Care Committee have issued a Call for Evidence relating to the Invisibility of Adult Social Care.

The Homecare Association response is available below.

In the response we explain that it can often feel that the adult social care sector is ‘hidden in plain sight’ as the day-to-day challenges of those involved in social care are poorly understood and narratives about the sector experiencing crisis become ‘normalised’. 

Policy announcements can feel disconnected from the realities experienced by providers. Escalating unmet need, staff shortages and funding deficits remain largely unaddressed by the reform proposals. 

We call for action to address these issues including, amongst other things, more national public dialogue about social care; viable fee rates for providers; immediate grant support for the sector to cover, for example, fuel costs; a credible workforce plan; additional training for NHS staff about social care services; and further engagement with the sector about the CARE brand.