Title

SOCIAL CARE

Social care system is 'levelling down,' analysis warns

The quality of social care is worse in the most deprived areas, undermining the Government's levelling up agenda, new analysis has revealed.

The quality of social care is worse in the most deprived areas, undermining the Government's levelling up agenda, new analysis has revealed.

Research by the Centre for Progressive Policy think-tank found unmet care needs were more than twice as high in the most deprived places than in the least deprived places.

It argued the Government's social care reforms were 'severely lacking' as the money allocated for professionalising the workforce, recruitment and retention would only recruit an extra 11,000 care workers a year or provide just £108 per care worker per year.

Head of research at the think-tank, Ben Franklin, warned: 'The current social care system is a force for levelling down rather than levelling up and the Government's reforms will not change this.

'Presently, the costs of the system fall heaviest on those least able to bear them – poorer people in communities where unmet social care needs are higher and where the burden of providing care can result in a further cut to household income as informal carers are forced out of work or to reduce their hours.'

SOCIAL CARE

Navigating the new procurement landscape

By Jonathan Werran | 16 October 2025

A Localis study puts forward a series of recommendations on how councils can make the most of the new procurement landscape. Jonathan Werran says local autho...

SOCIAL CARE

How productive is local government – and are there any savings left?

By Jeremy Cooper | 15 October 2025

As the sector awaits the launch of the Local Government Outcomes Framework, how ready is local government to understand and drive productivity? There is good...

SOCIAL CARE

Domestic recruitment and retention challenges persist in adult social care

By Liz Wells | 15 October 2025

England’s adult social care sector faces long-term recruitment and retention challenges as it is projected to need around 470,000 extra posts by 2040, a repo...

SOCIAL CARE

Reorganisation could break care services unless government gets reform right

By Cllr Matthew Hicks | 10 October 2025

New analysis raises serious concerns for the future sustainability, quality and cost of people-based services if excessive fragmentation into smaller council...

Popular articles by Laura Sharman