Social Care

Aaron Kulakiewicz; David Foster; Philip Loft

The Library has published a list of relevant briefing papers on social care.

1.1 England

Coronavirus and Adult Social Care

Adult Social Care (England)

Children’s Social Care (England)

The Library briefing, Disability inclusive Covid-19 response, also includes relevant material and reports.

The Education Select Committee has held evidence sessions on The Impact of Covid-19 on education and children’s services. This included sessions with the Children’s Commissioner, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services and the Chief Executive Officer of Barnardo’s, and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, Vicky Ford MP.

The Joint Committee on Human Rights Report, The Government’s response to COVID-19: Human rights implications, HC 265/HL 125, 21 September 2020, also provides information on health and care during the pandemic.

1.2 Health and Social Care Committee proceedings

Health and Social Care Committee, Inquiry: Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care inquiry, October 2020

Health and Social Care Committee, Oral evidence: Coronavirus, Lessons learnt, HC877, 13 October 2020

Health and Social Care Committee, Committee Report – Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond, 1 October 2020

Health and Social Care Committee, Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond, 24 September 2020

Health and Social Care Committee, Oral evidence: Social care: funding and workforce, HC 206, 8 September 2020

1.3 Wales

The Welsh National Assembly’s/Senedd Cymru’s research briefing, Paying for adult social care in Wales: Debate and reform (2017) and Coronavirus: Adult social care (2020) provide policy background. The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is conducting an Inquiry into the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, and its management, on health and social care in Wales.

Previously, the Welsh Government increased the amount of capital that a person can keep without having to use this to pay for their residential care: for more details see this press release from April 2019 and related factsheets.

1.4 Scotland

The Scottish Government’s webpages on Social care, Charging for residential care and Free personal and nursing care (available for those over 65 years old and assessed as needing care) provide background information.

The Scottish Parliament‘s Health and Sport Committee Social Care inquiry is assessing the impact of coronavirus on the sector. The Scottish Government launched an independent review of adult social care in September 2020, which intends to report in January 2021. A statement announcing the review was made in the Scottish Parliament on 1 September 2020.

The Scottish Parliament Information Centre’s Where does health care end and social care begin? describes developments in Scotland since 1999, and Coronavirus (COVID-19)-FAQs-social care, describes recent developments in the sector.

1.5 Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Executive’s website on Your home, your assets and your residential care or nursing home fees summarises the current system. Citizen’s Advice also has a useful page on Social care and support, which considers the funding of domiciliary care in Northern Ireland.

In New Decade, New Approach (2020), the new Northern Ireland Executive committed to deliver reforms set out in the Delivering Together (2017) and Power to the People (2017).

The Northern Ireland Research and Information Service have published The impact of Covid-19 on the health and social care sector (June 2020).

The Northern Ireland Health Select Committee held an evidence session on Covid-19 and its impact on care homes with the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland and Age NI in October 2020.