A National Care Service: Next Steps in Adult Social Care Reform was published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU).
CIPFA chief executive Owen Mapley said: ‘CIPFA and LGIU's A National Care Service: Next Steps in Adult Social Care Reform paper makes clear that adult social care reform will only succeed if Governments answer the funding question and clarify accountability.
‘Our analysis shows that structural change alone will not fix a financially unsustainable system. Reform is not a single legislative event but a long-term process of system change. Success will depend less on creating new structures and more on aligning funding, accountability, workforce policy and local delivery around the needs of people who rely on care and support.'
The report sets out set seven principles for effective reform:
- answering the funding question with robust financial and business cases
- building consensus and stakeholder buy-in from the outset
- developing realistic implementation timelines
- embedding place-based reform through recognising adult social care reform as local government reform that is also part of a wider local system
- prioritising prevention
- clearly evidencing improved outcomes for people who draw on care and support
- keeping workforce strategy central to reform.
It also makes country-specific recommendations:
- Scotland - stabilising integration arrangements, clarifying financial accountability within Integration Joint Boards and strengthening collaboration and scale
- England - urging the Casey Commission to prioritise funding reform, workforce strategy and clearer national–local responsibilities
- Wales - strengthening financial modelling, clearly demarcating national and local responsibilities, and maintaining transparent consensus-building.
