Local authority leaders have welcomed a call from the Church of England to increase investment in communities and to introduce a National Care Covenant.

A new report, commissioned by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, has called for a rethink of attitudes to care and support; a rebalance of roles and responsibilities; and a redesign of the social care system.

Care and Support Reimagined: a National Care Covenant for England also called for a National Care Covenant which sets out the roles and responsibilities of government, communities, families and individuals.

The Archbishops’ Commission, which was launched by the Archbishops to study the social care crisis in April 2021, emphasised that more investment in needed in communities and that the state should have a stronger role in providing social care.

It also said there should be a long-term aspiration to make care and support a universal entitlement that would include a simplified assessment that leads to a guaranteed budget.

Commenting on the release of the report, the chair of the commission, Dr Anna Dixon, said: ‘Our reimagined vision for care and support puts relationships at the centre and encourages us to think about how social care can enable everyone to live well.

‘This is no time for tinkering around the edges of a social care system that for too long has left people who draw on care and support feeling marginalised, carers feeling exhausted and undervalued, a system which provides no clarity about what is expected of each of us. A National Care Covenant, with its focus on the mutual responsibilities, will help us to work together towards our common goal.’

Responding to the report, Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Community Wellbeing Board said: ‘This report is another important and helpful contribution to the conversation around adult social care.

‘The Archbishops’ Commission rightly highlights the importance of shifting the narrative on ageing and disability, as well as building better attitudes towards social care and the people who draw on it.

‘It also brings to light the importance of people being trusted to manage their own care and decide what help they need. We support the recommendations of the report, particularly the need for investment in communities.

‘Social care needs urgent support and funding, so that pressures can be addressed and councils can deliver on all of their statutory duties and ensure people of all ages can live an equal life.’