Reimagining Care Commission Calls for National Care Covenant

England s two most senior bishops have called for a radical redesign of the country s social care system

In a report published this week by Archbishop Justin Welby and Archbishop Stephen Cottrell – Care and Support Reimagined: A National Care Covenant for England – the Archbishops Commission on Reimagining Care has set out three actions to realise a new vision for care and support: rethinking attitudes to care and support; rebalancing roles and responsibilities; and redesigning the social care system

The Commission has three big ideas to realise a new vision for care and support:

1 Rethinking attitudes to care and support

2 Rebalancing roles and responsibilities

3 Redesigning the social care system

The report said "The architects of England’s welfare state in the 1940s could not have imagined that eight decades later so many people would be struggling to get essential care and support " and call for care assessments to be simplified and standardised budgets to be awarded based on categories of disability - with users given freedom over how money is spent

A Commission set up by the bishops also recommends a recruitment drive and better conditions for carers - with improved pay, conditions, and training It concluded: "We cannot afford not to do anything "

Archbishop Justin and Archbishop Stephen says: “At the heart of this report is a deeply Christian understanding of what it looks like to live together in community with people caring for and supporting one another in relationships characterised by mutuality and interdependence

“The Commission offers a vision of one-another care where we have a better sense of what we should do for each other in our communities and neighbourhoods find agreement about different responsibilities lie and build long-term networks and associations that will allow people to flourish The development of a National Care Covenant is the beginning of a wider process in which we seek to realise this vision

The report describes the current care system as complex confusing and difficult to navigate and calls for a fundamental and comprehensive redesign of care and support

Staff shortages have worsened with care deserts in parts of the country For people with health as well as care needs social care and the NHS are poorly coordinated and work as separate systems the report adds

It calls for a long-term plan for the recruitment and retention of paid carers as well as the redesign of roles Their skill and contribution to people s lives must be valued and given recognition so that social care is regarded as a rewarding career

The report points out that Japan and Germany have seen far reaching’ reforms; and Scotland and Wales are both recommending a ‘National Care Service to put care and support on an equal footing with the NHS Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said such a covenant would be a "step towards" a position where "everyone is engaged in a collaborative effort to ensure that we can all access the care and support we need"

The report said "This will require a means of collective funding and pooling of risk, probably with a tariff of care charges established on a national basis "

Welcoming the report Dr Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive at the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group, said: “Every day disabled people and their families continue to experience gaps in support, and with rising levels of unmet need, people are left in vulnerable circumstances The new deal for unpaid carers, alongside a universal entitlement to care and support on par with the NHS, are all urgently required if we are to ensure disabled people’s care and support is not left behind The work and recommendations of the Archbishops Commission are welcome at such a critical time for social care in particular the call for a National Care Covenant ”

VODG remains seriously concerned about funding and the workforce pressures being faced by disability services Dr Hughes goes on to say Current funding and the lack of investment in social care workers pay by central government is depleting the numbers of people and their skills and experience prepared to work in social care Without concerted action in the Spring Budget to uplift care workers pay the risks to the sustainability of services and the provision of high quality and safe care will remain real and ever present

Independent Care Group Chair Mike Padgham said: It is a sorry state of affairs when the Church feels the need to intervene in the state of care

But this welcome contribution from the Archbishops Commission must be a wake-up call to the Government on the crisis in social care

We particularly welcome the report s call for a universal entitlement to care – regardless of wealth and income and also its call for a national tariff of care charges – things we have been campaigning for now for decades

“The report echoes what those of us delivering care have been saying: that we need urgent bold reform as set out in our own Five Pillars for Social Care Reform document We would urge the Government to heed the words of the Archbishops’ Commission and begin that reform straight away ”

Chief Executive of Methodist Homes (MHA) said: “I welcome the findings of the Commission, which yet again highlight the need for urgent reform of the adult care sector

“The Commission recognises that without this reform, we will continue to have a fragmented system Report after report over decades have highlighted how reform is needed yet, when we thought reform was starting in 2021, the Government halted it with no plans on when it might start again It is time for the Government to engage with care providers and find out from them exactly what is needed

“All of us have a part to play in supporting older people and making sure they are put at the heart of decisions affecting them Great care and support enables older people to live later life well something we should all aspire towards

“The idea of a National Care Covenant suggested by the Commission would mean we all work together to make sure no one is left behind in their need for care when it is most needed whether that is in their own home or a care home

The Commissioners visited MHA Moor Allerton in Leeds and saw for themselves how caring for the spiritual needs of people can make a real difference to their lives highlighting this as an example in their report We are proud of the work of our chaplaincy team which means we can truly say that at MHA we care for the mind body and spirit