Social care must not return to the way it was before the pandemic, a coalition of councils, charities and health and care organisations have warned.
The Local Government Association (LGA) and 32 other organisations have called on the Government to publish its timetable for social care reform before Parliament returns from summer recess in September.
The LGA has put forward a set of seven key principles that should underpin reform of social care including putting people first, supporting the care workforce and adequate funding.
Cllr James Jamieson, chairman of the LGA, said: ‘For too long we have been promised a plan to fix the social care crisis but people who use and work in these vital services are still waiting. The COVID-19 crisis has proved that we need a complete reset, not a restart, when it comes to the future of social care.
’The pandemic has also served to highlight the incredibly valuable role of social care in its own right and why it is more important than ever before that we find a long-term and sustainable solution, so that people of all ages can live the life they want to lead.’