Social care reform: our views
Families and unpaid carers must be at the heart of Social Care reform
Home Instead UK’s Managing Director has called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to deliver a social care system that reflects modern family life, supporting unpaid carers before they reach breaking point and treating conditions like dementia with the urgency they deserve.
In an article she wrote for the Daily Express, Ruth Brown revealed the findings from our latest New Ageing Index:
- Rising Pressure: In just 18 months, the proportion of family carers saying they need more support looking after an ageing parent shot up from 68% to 77%.
- Seeking Control: Half of the public (50%) and over 60% of family carers would consider funding their own care to give them more choice and avoid long state waiting lists.
- Demand for Navigation: Over half of family carers believe independent providers offer greater choice, highlighting a strong public desire for a simpler system to navigate- similar to models in countries like Australia.
This comes as Baroness Louise Casey, who is leading the government’s independent review into adult social care, delivered a powerful interview on BBC Radio 5 Live, calling out society’s hesitation to confront ageing and dementia:
“We work really hard and spend a lot of money trying not to get old”, she said, “but we’re all gonna get old, so we should do it the best way we possibly can.” Baroness Louise Casey
Baroness Casey highlighted the stark double standard between physical illnesses like cancer or heart disease and conditions like Alzheimer’s, urging that dementia must be given the same diagnostic speed, research focus, and clinical pathways.
A shared vision for reform
Both Ruth Brown and Baroness Casey agree that the current social care system steps in far too late- usually only once a family reaches crisis point.
Reflecting on the need for modern reform, Ruth added: “Today’s carers are balancing work, children, and ageing parents. They are juggling appointments, medication, and paperwork under enormous emotional pressure. If reform is to succeed, it must give families clear information, consistent standards, and genuine choice- helping them find the right care before they reach breaking point, not afterwards.”
Supporting the Big Conversation on Care
As Baroness Casey accelerates her review to bring findings forward by next summer, Home Instead UK is urging clients, families, Care Professionals, and unpaid carers to participate in The Big Conversation on Care.
By bringing together the lived experiences of families with the expertise of care providers, the NHS, and local councils, the UK has a generational opportunity to build a social care system built around people rather than institutions.
Members of the public can share their views directly with the review team at: caseycommission.co.uk/bigconversation