Minister of state for care Stephen Kinnock has written to chief executives of local authorities and directors of adult social services, setting out the priorities for adult social care this winter.
The letter is aimed at chief executives of local authorities; directors of adult social services; integrated care boards and partnerships; adult social care provider representative organisations; adult social care providers; and local authority adult social care staff including social workers and occupational therapists.
It sets out the critical actions needed across the adult social care sector to protect individuals and their carers, and deliver operational resilience in winter 2024 to 2025.
Beginning the letter Kinnock said: "I look forward to working with local government and the adult social care sector as we embark upon an ambitious long-term programme of reform with a view to creating a National Care Service."
The principles guiding short-term priorities include a ‘home-first’ approach that supports people to live independently for as long as possible; a relentless focus on ensuring high-quality care; and close involvement of people receiving care and their families and carers.
The same principles will also run through the development of the 10-year health plan - a national conversation on which will be launched in the autumn. The plan will be based around 3 big shifts – from an analogue to a digital NHS, from hospitals to communities, and from sickness to prevention. Closer integration between health and social care services will be a core part of this.
The letter recognised workforce challenges and said the government was committed to working with the sector, both in the short term and over the course of this Parliament, to tackle these challenges together.
The minister also mentioned support for family carers and preventing avoidable admissions and supporting timely discharge.
Concluding, Kinnock said: "Finally, I would like to express my thanks for your work to drive improvement in local services and better meet the needs of people who draw on care and support, particularly in the context of the financial challenges that I know local authorities continue to face. I look forward to working with you in future."
