Care England welcomes Baroness Casey’s speech comparing the need to improve social care with Beveridge’s “five giants”

Care England has welcomed Baroness Louise Casey’s speech at the Nuffield Trust Summit, describing it as an important moment in bringing social care into a wider national conversation about how the country supports people who need care and support.

In her speech, Baroness Casey described social care as the “sixth giant”, alongside the five social challenges identified by William Beveridge in his post-war reforms. The comparison reflects the scale of the challenge the country now faces as the population ages and more people live longer with complex health and care needs.

Baroness Casey spoke about how demographic and social changes have reshaped the way care is needed and delivered over recent decades. As people live longer, often with multiple long-term conditions, she argued that the country must now confront a fundamental question: what should a modern care system look like, and how should it be supported in the years ahead?

Reflecting on the speech, Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said:

“Baroness Casey has helped bring social care into the national conversation in a way that is long overdue. Too often, the debate about care takes place within the sector rather than with the public. This speech begins an important discussion about what people want from a care system and how we support independence, dignity and wellbeing as people live longer lives.

Social care is not simply an adjunct to the NHS. It is the foundation that allows people to live independently, recover after illness and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. When care works well, it prevents crisis and supports people to live the lives they choose.”

Baroness Casey highlighted the relationship between health and social care, and the imbalance that can sometimes exist between the NHS and the community-based support that keeps people well and independent.

Care England has also welcomed Baroness Casey’s focus on dementia and safeguarding. During the speech, she proposed the creation of a national safeguarding board for vulnerable adults and called for stronger leadership in responding to dementia. Professor Martin Green said both issues are already placing growing pressure on the sector.

“Safeguarding and dementia are areas where national leadership and coordination really matter. The sector supports measures that strengthen the protection of vulnerable people and improve the way the country responds to dementia.”

Baroness Casey also pointed to the impact that prolonged hospital stays can have on older people. Extended admissions can lead to deconditioning, where people lose strength, mobility and independence during their time in hospital.

“We know that hospitals can sometimes become a rapid route to decline for frail older people,” Professor Martin Green said. “Social care plays a crucial role in helping people recover, maintain independence and, in many cases, avoid unnecessary hospitalisation in the first place.”

Care England is also pleased that the speech brought to the public attention a broader conversation about how the NHS and social care work together in practice, including areas such as Continuing Healthcare (CHC) and how the responsibilities of the two systems are understood by the public.

“Many members of the public do not distinguish between the NHS and social care in the way policymakers often do. When someone becomes ill or frail, people simply want the right support to be there.”

Care England said it looks forward to continuing to work with Baroness Casey and the Commission as its work develops.

Professor Martin Green concluded that the speech should be seen as the beginning of a wider national conversation about the future of care.

“The challenge now is to ensure the political will exists to ensure that the magnitude of the change that is needed is delivered after countless unactioned reports and reviews; and to ensure the voices of people who draw on care, families, staff and providers help shape what comes next for social care in England.”