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Social Care Reform
23 June 2021
Lead MP
Helen Whately
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Social CareEmployment
Other Contributors: 39
At a Glance
Helen Whately raised concerns about social care reform in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The minister expressed gratitude for the opportunity to discuss social care reform. She acknowledged the challenges posed by the pandemic, including an extra £1.8 billion in funding and distributing over 2 billion items of PPE and more than 120 million tests. The statement emphasised a vision for future social care that prioritises confidence, choice, joined-up health and care services, recognition of carers' value, training opportunities, and support for unpaid carers. The minister highlighted the Health and Care Bill's provisions to integrate these systems and outlined plans for long-term reform proposals later in the year.
Liz Kendall
Lab
Leicester West
Question
The shadow questioned the government's commitment to social care reform following the Prime Minister’s pledge. She highlighted the challenges faced by residents, families, staff during the pandemic, and the need for a clear plan with specifics like a cost cap and workforce plans.
Minister reply
The minister acknowledged the importance of supporting social care during the pandemic but emphasised that her government is committed to delivering reforms this year. She also mentioned ongoing discussions about reform with the Prime Minister.
Jeremy Hunt
Con
Godalming and Ash
Question
The MP asked how the NHS could address its backlog if social care continues to export vulnerable patients, undermining the principle of equal access to care. He raised concerns about dementia care for wealthy versus less fortunate individuals.
Minister reply
The minister agreed on the need to integrate health and care services and expressed a willingness to tackle long-term costs associated with conditions like dementia as part of social care reforms.
Question
This MP highlighted that while Scotland is making strides in social care reform, including investment increases and tax exemptions for staff payments, the UK Government has yet to act. He asked about lessons learned from this example and called for urgent discussions on post-Brexit residence status for EU nationals.
Minister reply
The minister reiterated her government's commitment to social care reform through the Queen’s Speech and acknowledged looking at successful models across England and the rest of the UK, though she did not address specific requests regarding tax exemptions or residency status.
Damian Green
Con
Ashford
Question
My interests are in the register. I was delighted to hear the Minister confirm that the reform announcements will come later this year, and obviously a centrepiece of that will be the key question of how we get significantly more money into the social care system. But can she guarantee that the proposals will cover issues such as workforce planning, the need for changes in the housing stock to enable people to live in their own homes for much longer than they can at the moment, and the use of technology to ease their daily burden, all of which are essential for a sustainable and civilised social care system?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend makes an important point about the breadth of the reform that is needed. I can confirm that we are looking at how we can support the workforce further, including by raising skills and improving training opportunities and career progression, and how technology can be used to support better care and more independence as well as providing more time for the workforce to do personal care rather than administration. On housing, most people want to live behind their own front door for as long as possible, surrounded by their own things and in their own communities, so that is also absolutely part of our reform.
Munira Wilson
Lib Dem
Twickenham
Question
New analysis for the Care and Support Alliance found that since the Prime Minister stood on the steps of Downing Street some two years ago and promised to 'fix...social care once and for all', 2 million requests for formal care and support from adults over 18 have been turned down by their local council; that is the equivalent of 3,000 requests being turned down every day, putting immense pressure on unpaid carers as well as the NHS. This shows the human cost of dither and delay, so will Ministers stop their internal spats and off-the-record briefings and commence cross-party talks immediately with the sector so that we can fix this issue?
Minister reply
We have of course had to focus on the pandemic over the last 18 months, but we are already working on reform. We are already consulting widely with the sector; I and the Department have together met and spoken to more than 70 different organisations and representatives of the care sector, from care providers to local authorities, and including care users and carers themselves. We will be working with this broad range of people, including parliamentarians; we need to build a consensus not only across Parliament but in society as a whole for our social care reforms.
Mark Fletcher
Lab
Bolsover
Question
Over the past couple of years I have spoken to many families across the Bolsover constituency who are affected by social care and all the challenges that we know the sector and those who work in it face. Does my hon. Friend agree that this should not be a matter of party political point scoring and that what we need is a sustainable solution? Will she commit to delivering that solution this year so that we can have a social care sector that is fit for purpose for many years to come?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is clearly having conversations in his constituency, and he makes an important point about the scale and number of people who have involvement in the care system. There are over 1.4 million people who receive care, over 1.6 million people in the care workforce, and over 5 million unpaid or family carers. The scale is huge and is growing as more people need care. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that this is not a party political issue; we need to come together and build a consensus across Parliament, but also across society as a whole—and, yes, we will bring forward proposals for reform later this year.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
I thank the Minister for her statement today on social care reform. An issue close to my heart is support for carers in the form of respite; in particular we have generations of young carers who need a break after the isolation of the pandemic. Will the Minister commit to making funding available specifically to provide respite overnights for carers who carry out their activities 24/7 and need support more than ever right now?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman makes a really important point about respite for carers. Being a carer is hard and back-up support and respite services help make it more possible, but frustratingly, during the pandemic many of those services have not been able to function as normal. I am currently working with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Ministers to help local authorities across England ensure that day services and respite care are fully restarted as that is very important, and I would like to see that across the whole of the UK.
Martin Vickers
Con
Brigg and Immingham
Question
I appreciate this is very difficult for the Minister, because until we actually know what the Government’s proposals are, she is answering questions based on assumptions and guesswork, but she will know that the main concerns of families are twofold: that they get adequate care; and that they will not have to sell their family home to provide that care. What assurance can she give that the Government will take into account the fact that people want to hold on to their family home? On the assumption that the value of assets will play some part in whatever formula we come up with, what account will be taken of the vast difference in prices of property in London compared with, for example, Cleethorpes?
Minister reply
I hope my hon. Friend will forgive me if I am not drawn on the assumption point that he made in the second part of his question, but what I can say to him is that the Prime Minister has been clear that he wants a social care system where no one needing care should be forced to sell their home to pay for it.
David Johnston
Con
Dartford
Question
On Friday I met my constituent Phil, whose mother, given the state of her dementia, has gone to into a care home. The day before I met my constituent Denise, who is trying to keep her mum, who has Alzheimer’s, in her own home. I think they are pretty typical of most of our constituents, because in addition to the cost issue, they are dealing with the complexity of a system they do not have experience of, as well as trying to get the right quality of care. Can my hon. Friend confirm that the issues of cost, complexity and quality of care will all be dealt with in the reform proposals?
Minister reply
Yes, I absolutely can. We know that cost is a real problem, but there is also a real variation in quality of care. In fact, we are already taking steps on that. That is one reason why the health and social care Bill introduces an assurance or oversight system of the provision of care commissioned by local authorities. Yes, the breadth of the issues that my hon. Friend refers to is being considered in our reform proposals.
Vicky Foxcroft
Lab
Lewisham North
Question
The 2018 Equality and Human Rights Commission report, “Housing and disabled people: Britain’s hidden crisis”, found that disabled people in the UK were not getting the support they needed to live independently. Three years on, we still have not seen any sign of the national strategy for disabled people which was promised this spring. Does the Minister agree that that is long overdue, and can she tell the House what her Government are currently doing to support people to go into independent living?
Minister reply
One thing I am very aware of is that often the debate about social care reform is a lot about care for older people, but that we should also make sure we are thinking at least as much about care for those of working age with disabilities. We and the Government certainly do think about that. We are working on the national disabled strategy, which I have contributed to. It will be coming forward shortly.
Bury South
Question
The Fed at Heathlands Village in my constituency is an amazing example of what care can and ultimately should look like, so I want to start by extending an invitation to the Minister to walk around The Fed with me to see what services really should look like. What can we do to ensure that The Fed is not just a torchbearer, but the norm?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for his invitation. I do my utmost to get out and about—at the moment, mainly virtually—but I am looking forward to being able to go on more visits in the weeks and months ahead. Absolutely, what I want to see is a high standard of care available for everybody across the whole country.
Clive Efford
Lab
Eltham
Question
It is nearly two years since the Prime Minister promised to fix social care. In the intervening period, we have had the false promise that there was a ring of protection around social care homes. The Government’s treatment of people in care homes, their families and the workers in that field of public service is appalling. This is a highly politically charged issue. We tried to fix it when we were in government and were attacked by the Opposition. The Government have had a similar experience. The only way forward on this is for the Government to have cross-party talks on how we find a solution to this problem. Will she commit to doing that?
Minister reply
I would just remind the hon. Gentleman of the unprecedented level of support we have given to the social care sector during the pandemic, as I mentioned a moment ago. I know it has been extremely hard, but that is why we provided over £1.8 billion-worth of funding, free personal protective equipment, access to testing, and, of course, priority in the vaccination roll-out. On his point about needing to build a consensus around social care reform, I am already talking to parliamentarians across parties. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago I had a really helpful session with the all-party parliamentary group on adult social care. I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues across the House.
John Redwood
Con
Wokingham
Question
Will the Minister ensure that quality of care for the person needing it is central to the review? Can we learn lessons over the safe discharge of people from hospital into care settings? Will the NHS ensure that in future GP and nursing care, where needed, is available to support those patients on discharge?
Minister reply
One thing I will say is that during the pandemic GPs and primary care in general have really stepped up to support those in care homes in particular, with every care home having a point of contact in primary care to ensure the support from GPs that those residents require. Yes, quality is at the centre of our proposals for social care reform.
Alex Sobel
Lab Co-op
Leeds Central and Headingley
Question
We all know that commissioning in social care is broken. The price paid for care is too low, the wages paid to carers are too small and there is a lack of training and professional development for carers. Will the social care plans address the issue of home care being commissioned by the minute—it is the only publicly funded service commissioned or measured by time?
Minister reply
Some really interesting and important work has been done on commissioning, looking at the outcomes of care rather than being so focused on inputs, which sometimes leads to the situation described by the hon. Member. One of the opportunities of the oversight system that we propose through the health and care Bill is that it will shine a light on the different ways in which local authorities commission care and give more visibility to what works.
Question
Fixing our social care system is the biggest long-term challenge facing the country. However, for all the scale and complexity of the issue, fundamentally it comes down to money. We must find a way to fund our social care system fairly and sustainably. Will the Minister assure the House that she will work on a cross-party basis to bring forward reforms as soon as possible so that we can prevent the appalling situation in which people are forced to sell their home to pay for care?
Minister reply
I can absolutely assure my hon. Friend on that point. One of the things we are committed to addressing is the situation where people may have worked all their lives to purchase and own a home and pay off a mortgage but then find themselves faced with a care bill of a size that uses up the value of their home when, perfectly reasonably, they want to be able to pass something on to their family.
Sarah Owen
Lab
Luton North
Question
When I was a care worker, I was lucky enough to work alongside care workers from across the world. We know the sacrifices that all care workers have made during the pandemic and how care home residents were put at risk by the Government’s covid response. There has now been over a decade of empty promises. When will there be a plan for social care that offers more for these heroes than just a badge, some bin bags for PPE and a failure of an NHS boss in waiting who does not value the efforts of overseas healthcare workers?
Minister reply
I absolutely respect the experience that the hon. Member brings to this House, but I do not agree with quite a bit of what she said. We have done our utmost to support the more than 1.4 million members of the social care workforce during the pandemic.
Mike Wood
Con
Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
Question
A world-class healthcare system cannot exist without effective and sustainable social care. The health and care Bill is an important step, but will my hon. Friend ensure that the social care reforms go further in integrating health and social care so that everybody who needs care can get the tailored support that they need?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The proposals in the health and care Bill are just a step on the road to reform, but they are an important step.
Tim Farron
Lib Dem
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Question
I am sure the Minister will agree that the two conditions that people most fear getting at some point in their lives are probably cancer and dementia. Yet, if someone gets cancer, the NHS will take care of them and the taxpayer will fund their treatment; if they get dementia, broadly speaking that is not the case. As has been said already, surely the only way through this is a significant injection of money. That means being honest with the British people that, collectively, we will have to pay for it. Does she agree that we would be right to say to the British people that they should pay an extra penny on income tax for social care, so that people do not have to lose their home and their dignity if they lose their health?
Minister reply
I would not want to upset the Chancellor by talking about tax policy at the Dispatch Box, but, as I have said to colleagues—and, in fact, as the Prime Minister has said—one of the things that we are committed to as part of our social care reforms is ensuring that nobody should have to sell their home to pay for their care.
Tan Dhesi
Lab
Slough
Question
People across our country will have breathed a huge sigh of relief when the Prime Minister stood on the steps of Downing Street and exclaimed that he had a “clear” and “prepared” plan to solve the social care crisis, but almost two years have passed and there is still no plan in sight. Indeed, the Minister has said today that the Government are still working on a plan. What is the hold-up? Who is obstructing the Prime Minister—or was he simply misleading the nation as usual?
Minister reply
The hon. Member asks about the hold-up. As I have said quite clearly, we have had a pandemic, which has been an unprecedented challenge for our country, our Government and our social care system.
Question
Despite repeated promises by successive Governments, our social care system has not received the attention it deserves, and my constituents want to see that attention. Will my hon. Friend confirm that the Government will honour the promise that we made to the British people and deliver the long-term solution that the sector needs?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is absolutely right; reform has been talked about by many Governments.
Question
Instead of bringing forward plans to fix the social care crisis as the Prime Minister has promised, the Government intend to put in place a legal framework for a discharge to assess model, whereby NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care assessments can take place after an individual has been discharged from acute care, instead of before. The Government have told me that an independent evaluation of the implementation of the hospital discharge policy is currently under way, and that it is due to report this autumn. Will the Minister tell us why the Government are pressing ahead with this policy, despite not yet fully understanding the impact that it is having on patients and unpaid carers?
Minister reply
I would not see this as either/or. We have said that we will bring forward proposals for social care reform.
Danny Kruger
Reform
East Wiltshire
Question
I very much welcome the plans for integrating the NHS, local authorities and social care providers. Can the Minister assure us that the plans will not lead to any more centralisation or bureaucracy in the system, and that, on the contrary, we will see more local flexibility, more choice and control for patients and, crucially, more support for the families and community groups that are so important in the delivery of social care?
Minister reply
Yes, absolutely. One of the strengths of our social care system is its huge diversity, with the different forms of social care and the different ways it works in different communities.
Paula Barker
Lab
Liverpool Wavertree
Question
Today marks 700 days to the day since, on the steps of Downing Street, the Prime Minister told the nation that “we will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with a clear plan we have prepared”. For clarity, this was before the global pandemic hit. I know, and the Minister knows, that the market has failed, and that that failure has been exacerbated by the pandemic, not created by it. Is it not time for the Minister to face the inconvenient truth that the only way to fund social care is through progressive taxation, with a diverse range of in-house services guaranteeing workforce standards and service user choice, under the umbrella of local government?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady is right to say that when we went into the pandemic, the social care system already needed reform.
Question
The report of the joint Health and Social Care and Housing, Communities and Local Government Committees left open the possibility of insurance-type solutions for adult care funding. Can the Minister confirm that both insurance-based solutions and an enhanced role for local government remain options for her and other key decision makers when determining the way forward for adult care?
Minister reply
The minister acknowledges the consideration of different models for paying for social care, including insurance-based solutions and an enhanced role for local government. However, she is not able to provide details at this time and will wait until the publication of proposals for social care reform later in the year.
Newcastle upon Tyne North
Question
The pandemic has highlighted the unequal footing of social care alongside the NHS. The Prime Minister’s announcement that he had a social care plan ready to go in 2019 is shown to be untrue, and 1.5 million older people are going without necessary care. What is the Minister doing to ensure cross-party consensus on this issue?
Minister reply
The minister states they are working across the sector with providers, representatives, and users of social care to develop proposals for reform which will be published later in the year.
Question
Many people in Sedgefield are concerned about the cost of social care. Can the Minister ensure that they do not have to sell their house to fund such care?
Minister reply
The minister acknowledges the concerns and confirms her commitment to addressing this issue through future social care reforms.
Bill Esterson
Lab
Sefton Central
Question
42,000 care home residents have died of coronavirus during the pandemic. The Prime Minister promised to fix the social care crisis 700 days ago. Social care staff cannot do this on their own; those who need the crisis fixed need certainty, not ambiguity of 'later this year'. When will the Government publish their plan and fix the social care crisis?
Minister reply
The minister reiterates that proposals for social care reform will be published later in the year.
Question
Residents in Blackpool spend a higher percentage of their income on council tax than those anywhere else. While reforming social care is clear, does the Minister agree they need a national funding model to meet costs and avoid disproportionate burdens on deprived areas?
Minister reply
The minister acknowledges the situation and confirms £3.8 billion in grants for adult and children’s social care this financial year, with further consideration of a fair system in future reforms.
Mary Foy
Lab
City of Durham
Question
Does the Minister believe that £67 a week carer’s allowance is fair for round-the-clock care, and will this amount be raised under the Prime Minister's plan?
Minister reply
The minister pays tribute to the hon. Member's experience as a carer and confirms her commitment to supporting unpaid carers in future reforms.
Kevin Hollinrake
Con
Thirsk and Malton
Question
Does my hon. Friend agree that a German-style social care premium would be fair, rewarding those who save and using small amounts from everyone to cover catastrophic costs? Will she include this in proposals for debate?
Minister reply
The minister appreciates the consistency and commitment of her colleague but does not agree on this occasion.
Matt Western
Lab
Warwick and Leamington
Question
From providers to staff, the sector feels abandoned. Two years ago, the Prime Minister promised an oven-ready plan which never materialized. Why cannot we resolve social care issues like other less prosperous nations? When will plans be published?
Minister reply
The minister reminds the hon. Member about unprecedented support given during the pandemic and confirms proposals for reform of social care later in the year.
Joy Morrissey
Con
Beaconsfield
Question
May I reiterate the point made by the hon. Member for Wirral West about hospital discharge and assessment while someone remains in hospital? Does my hon. Friend agree that now is the time to act on adult social care reform, being bold and courageous, putting an end to second-class service?
Minister reply
The minister agrees it is important for discharge to be carefully planned and support at home when discharged from hospital.
Rachael Maskell
Lab Co-op
York Central
Question
If we are truly to see full integration of health and social care, that will require full integration of funding. Will the Minister ensure this is an option when bringing forward proposals ahead of debating the Health and Care Bill?
Minister reply
The minister states she cannot provide details at this time but confirms that the health and care Bill is a step towards reform.
Gagan Mohindra
Con
South West Hertfordshire
Question
Can the Minister reassure the House that the focus will remain steadfast on patient outcomes and happiness as part of the health and care Bill?
Minister reply
The minister thanked the MP for his birthday wishes and emphasised the importance of focusing on better care outcomes, ensuring people can live independently within their communities.
Emma Lewell
Lab
South Shields
Question
Will the Minister apologise to those who lost loved ones due to her reported interference in Public Health England's proposed advice to care homes during the pandemic?
Minister reply
The minister rejected the MP's claims, stating that they were completely untrue and misleading.
Question
Does the Minister agree that boosting staffing levels is a vital first step towards building a world-class care system?
Minister reply
The minister agreed with the MP, highlighting the importance of having a well-trained workforce in social care.
Question
Does the Minister recognise that a cap on care costs alone is insufficient and will further measures be included to support working-age adults with disabilities, older people with unmet needs, and improve pay and conditions for care staff?
Minister reply
The minister acknowledged the breadth of issues within social care and emphasised the need to address both catastrophic costs and state-funded care recipients.
Question
Does the Minister support initiatives such as Warrington's social care academy, which addresses skills gaps in the care workforce?
Minister reply
The minister supported the initiative and expressed her willingness to visit when it is up and running.
Shadow Comment
Liz Kendall
Shadow Comment
The shadow responded critically, noting that since the Prime Minister's promise, almost 42,000 care home residents have died from COVID-19 and two million applications for support were refused. She questioned when the government would deliver its social care plan and whether it would include a cap on costs and address issues for people with disabilities, workforce shortages, and unpaid family carers.
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