VODG Member Briefing | LGA Care Where We Live report

The report contains a number of relevant key themes to VODG's work on the development of a National Care Service (NCS), particularly around the balance between national consistency and local decision-making, the purpose of social care, prevention, workforce and funding, and the importance of involving people in shaping reform.

A National Care Service should strengthen consistency, not standardise people's lives

One of the report's clearest messages is that:

“A National Care Service should strengthen consistency and entitlement, not replace local democratic leadership.”

The LGA argues that national components of a future system could provide greater consistency around standards, workforce, infrastructure and entitlement, while retaining local responsibility for care planning and decision-making.

This distinction is particularly relevant to VODG's work. The report warns against “highly standardised, transactional approaches that risk reducing people to processes or eligibility decisions”, reinforcing the principle that consistency of rights and entitlements should not mean standardisation of people's lives.

The LGA's findings also state that the “strongest and most consistent message was that adult social care should be built around people not services”.

This closely reflects VODG's Glorious Ordinary Lives work, which places people's rights, choices, relationships and aspirations at the centre of how we think about social care.

Social care in its own right

The report makes a strong case for adult social care to be understood as a vital part of our society in its own right, rather than an attachment to the NHS.

The LGA describes social care as:

“a valued national asset in its own right rather than primarily as a pressure valve for the NHS.”

It also argues that adult social care should be treated as “an equal partner to health”, with its own purpose and ambition.

The report recommends that national politicians work with local government to help demonstrate what adult social care is and close the parity of esteem gap between the NHS and adult social care.

This reinforces VODG's view that an NCS should not merely be designed around reducing pressure on the NHS, but should recognise the wider contribution social care makes to people's lives, communities and society.

Suffice to say throughout the report, the LGA acknowledge the scale of the challenge, noting that it may be impossible to imagine adult social care becoming part of the national psyche in quite the same way as the NHS, but that “any effort is worthwhile”.

For VODG, this reinforces the importance of building an ambitious vision for social care which communicates its value, rather than focusing on cost pressures.

People, Places, Passion

A recurring theme throughout the report is “People, Places, Passion”.

The LGA uses this to describe a vision of social care that supports people to remain connected to the things that matter to them. This includes maintaining relationships, participating in communities, working, volunteering and pursuing interests.

This provides an accessible way of describing what good outcomes from social care reform should look like: supporting people to live full lives, connected to their communities and the people and activities that matter to them.

It also reinforces the wider principle that the focus of an NCS must go beyond the provision of services, and must enable people to exercise choice, maintain relationships and participate fully in their communities.

Local voices at the helm

The LGA places considerable emphasis on the role of local government in developing and implementing social care reform, including the establishment of Local Government Working Groups to ensure meaningful engagement with those delivering services.

The report also highlights the importance of practice and clinical leadership working together to turn policy into reality.

Like the LGA, VODG will continue to advocate for the voices and experiences of disabled people to be central to the design of any future system.

Sustainable funding and a valued workforce

The report also considers the long-term sustainability of adult social care, including funding and workforce.

On funding, the LGA argues that the debate has moved beyond whether reform requires a national funding solution and towards what form that solution should take. It identifies a range of potential approaches, including general taxation, National Insurance, social insurance models and nationally coordinated approaches.

On workforce, the report highlights concerns about the sustainability of the current system and the pressures facing local authorities.

For VODG, a National Care Service cannot deliver better outcomes for people without a sustainable workforce and a funding settlement that enables providers and local authorities to deliver high-quality, personalised support.

This should exist alongside the development of the Fair Pay Agreement and wider efforts to improve pay, conditions, recruitment and retention across adult social care.

Prevention, housing and independence

The report takes a broad view of prevention and highlights the relationship between social care, housing and independence.

The LGA calls on government to:

“recognise housing as a core component of care, prevention and independence”

and argues that housing should be treated as an equal partner to care and health.

This reflects the need for a future NCS to look beyond traditional social care services and consider the wider factors that enable people to achieve the outcomes they want.

Rights, accountability and involvement

Finally, the report calls for stronger national approaches to rights, safeguarding, accountability and consistency of experience.

It argues that people who use and provide services must be active participants in shaping the future system and that reform should be:

“developed with the public rather than presented to the public”.

This is particularly relevant to VODG's position that disabled people must have a meaningful role in designing the future of social care.

People with lived experience should be involved in shaping what it is, how it works and what success looks like.

What does this mean for VODG?

There is significant overlap between the LGA's vision for a reformed adult social care system and the principles VODG has been advocating for in discussions around a National Care Service.

For VODG, the report provides further evidence of the importance of putting people, rights, choice and glorious ordinary lives at the heart of any future National Care Service.

We will continue to make vital representations to stakeholders and policymakers to progress our vision for a reformed adult social care sector.

Read the LGA's Care Where We Live report here.