Baroness Casey will today say a report requested by her commission shows successive Governments have been ‘asleep at the wheel’ on social care.
In a speech later, Baroness Casey will say the Nuffield Trust and the Institute for Government report shows ‘no one is in charge’ of social care.
She will say: ‘Successive Governments have been asleep at the wheel. In research we’re publishing today the lack of “stewardship” of social care comes through clearly.’
The report, which is part of a series on England’s adult social care sector being published by the commission, shows social care sector has become dominated by private providers in a ‘largely uncontrolled and unintended way’.
Previous Nuffield Trust research has described the Care Quality Commission’s role as being like a ‘spectator at the site of a car crash’.
The new research shows two people with the same condition can have different experiences depending on where they live, with self-funders paying on average, 40% more for the same service than people supported by the council.
In addition, England is the only country in the UK without a mandatory register of care workers.
Nuffield Trust deputy director of research and report co-author, Natasha Curry, said social care was ‘confused and complex’, adding ‘we need a clear vision on how to untangle the chaotic structure the sector has currently’.
Institute for Government associate director, Stuart Hoddinott, said social care had ‘evolved haphazardly and with little clear planning’.
Lee Peart is editor of Hemming Group’s Healthcare Management magazine.
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