Our response to the White paper

In response to the social care White Paper, our Director of Policy Gemma Hope said:

“The White Paper sets out ambitions for the future of social care, but the government now needs to match that with funding, and work with those who draw on care to make it a reality.

“Good quality social care empowers disabled people to have independence, choice, and control over their lives. It’s essential for working age disabled adults, who make up half of all recipients. It can make employment, education, leisure and socialising possible. But far too often, disabled people are kept waiting or miss out entirely on this vital provision. 

“The pandemic showed how vital social care is, but the sector has been repeatedly undermined by chronic underfunding. 

“Challenges around recruitment and retention are leading staff to leave social care roles in large numbers. Improving the appeal of social care as a career, with clearer routes for progression, rightly plays a central role in proposed reforms. But substantial funding is needed to deliver this as any reforms are meaningless without financial backing for the sector.

“Tailored, social care support for disabled people is possible and should be the norm wherever you live. The government has set its sights on a vision in which care packages offer greater flexibility and choice, one in which technology can potentially also play a bigger role. This is undoubtedly the way forward but further consultation with disabled people is needed to determine how to make this vision a reality.

“The plan is ambitious, but far greater funding than currently committed will be required.  Modern social care is an economic force for good and its recipients deserve the investment needed to meet their daily needs and further the ambitions of working age disabled adults particularly.”

Media enquiries

For further information, interview requests and case studies, please contact Jonathan Sim on jonathan.sim@leonardcheshire.org.