The Care Provider Alliance (CPA), a partnership of the 10 main national associations representing adult social care providers in England, welcomes Baroness Casey speech on adult social care given at the Nuffield Trust Summit yesterday, calling for a moment of renewal of social care.

In her speech, Baroness Casey described the history of the social care system, and how despite many well-intentioned attempts at reform, was never really created with a clear remit and role, leaving many people unclear about what the purpose of adult social care is.

She said: ‘Because unlike the NHS or indeed the benefits system, social care has never had its own creation moment No moment when the nation decided what it was for What people should expect. Or who should pay, and how.’

Baroness Casey went on to describe many of the challenges social care faces, all of which we believe would resonate with providers:

• A fragmented system, governed by a myriad of complex and impenetrable processes.
• An NHS and social care system which doesn’t joint up around the person, leaving some people – like the examples she gave of people with Motor Neuron Disease and dementia – living without care and support, or waiting months to receive the most basic support.
• An approach to commissioning care which is not fit for purpose. She said, ‘I met one incredible care provider who let me look through her books. The money she was getting from councils was barely enough to pay her staff, let alone her overhead costs.’

She called for several immediate changes, including setting up a new National Safeguarding Board and the introduction of a new, full-time Dementia Tsar, and faster progress on the Modern Service Framework for dementia and frailty.

We welcome these proposals.

To build a public mandate for change, Baroness Casey said she will set up a public conversation about what they want a National Care Service to do, something we think is long overdue.

We welcome the vital work which Baroness Casey and her team are doing, and look forward to working closely with them over the coming months to build a positive vision for change to adult social care.

Ewan King, Chair of the Care Provider Alliance says:

“Baroness Casey has described with frankness, passion and clarity, the challenges facing social care and the urgent need for change. Many of the examples she gives of a system which is fragmented, poorly commissioned, and hard to navigate will resonate not just with social care providers, but also with those who draw on care and support.

“We look forward to working with Baroness Casey to build the case for change with the public and a plan for the renewal of social care.

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Read the Casey Commission press release here.

Baroness Casey on a reformed social care system: view the recording of Nuffield Trust Summit: 2026 session online here.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care responds to Baroness Casey of Blackstock’s recommendations for immediate action on adult social care here.