Reforming Northern Ireland's adult social care sector

Health Minister Robin Swann has announced a public consultation to reshape adult social care in Northern Ireland.

Overall, 48 proposals for reform have been unveiled, with especial emphasis being placed on significantly increasing the amount and quality of social care services – in particular, following the recent £23 million cash injection, further investment is required to meet the needs of an ageing population. 

Other key proposals include:

• Improving pay, terms and conditions for the social care workforce.
• Reviewing the levels of care provided by the statutory and independent sector.
• Enhanced powers to regulate and inspect independent providers.

The full list of proposals is available on the Department of Health's website. The consultation (and accompanying documents) is available here, with the closing date for responses being 18 May.