VODG Responds to Casey Commission Research on Social Care Governance

New research commissioned by the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care has highlighted fragmented governance and unclear accountability across England's social care system. The findings come as Baroness Casey called for a new settlement for care based on values, in a speech to sector leaders in Liverpool.

Responding to the findings, Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive at VODG, said:

"Baroness Casey is right to highlight the serious shortcomings in the governance, market oversight and sustainability of our social care system. It is in need of reform, and as this research points out, that requires genuine political commitment - at national, regional and local level. It must also centre the vital contribution voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations (VCFSE) deliver - embedded in local communities and reinvesting in local economies.

"The research by Nuffield Trust and the Institute for Government highlights significant differences in the care and support people receive depending on where they live. Local flexibility is important, but it should not mean disabled people face unequal access to the support they need. 

"Crucially, we must be clear about what society wants social care to achieve. For disabled people of all ages, social care is not simply about meeting needs or providing services; it is about enabling people to live independently, exercise choice and control, and participate fully in their communities.

"There may be no single right way to structure social care, but reform must start with the lives and aspirations of the people who rely on it. Otherwise, we risk restructuring the system without actually improving the support people receive. Disabled people, alongside older people, must have a meaningful role in shaping and holding to account the future of social care. Their rights, experiences and ambitions must be central to any new settlement."