Local authority leaders have warned that the absence of a long-term, fully funded plan for social care could destabilise other health and care reforms.
A report by the Health and Social Care Committee into government reforms of the NHS and social care called for new legislation that would impose a duty on the Government to publish a 10-year social care plan with detailed costings, within six months of the Health and Care Bill receiving Royal Assent.
The committee warned that the lack of a fully funded plan for social care could undermine the success of the creation of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) throughout England.
Its report follows criticism from across the care sector that there was no funding pledge on social care reform in the Queen’s Speech.
Chairman of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) community wellbeing board, Cllr David Fothergill, said: ‘The absence of a long-term, fully funded plan for social care has the potential to destabilise other proposed health and care reforms.'
However, Cllr Fothergill said that the LGA had ‘significant concerns’ about the report’s recommendation for Ofsted-style ratings for councils’ social care services.
