Tell us your views to help improve social care

With social care services under pressure, the Government has announced it will publish a Green Paper on social care next summer.
A carer holding a woman's hand

The Government has announced that it will publish a Green Paper on care and support for older people in the summer of 2018 and will work with people who use services, experts and stakeholders – including Healthwatch England - to help develop its plans.

We'll be using the views people have shared with us about social care to help inform this debate.

Social care a top priority for many communities

Access to, and quality of social care services is a top priority for many communities across England. Over the past year, thousands of people have shared their experiences and concerns about using social care services, both in a care home and receiving support at home, with local Healthwatch.

In our two recent reports, What's it like to live in a care home and Home care services, we heard that services don't always listen to what people who use them actually want.

Our conversations with people using social care services highlighted a number of areas where experiences could be better, including improvements to staff training and getting the right support to stay healthy and active.

Opportunity to share ideas for better care

To help inform its plans, the Cabinet Office has invited a number of independent experts, including our National Director Imelda Redmond, to provide advice and support engagement.

Responding to the announcement, Imelda said:

“This green paper will provide an important opportunity to ensure social care is fit for the future and works for those who need it. If we are going to tackle the challenges ahead we all need to work together. It is vital that those using social care, their relatives and the public as a whole are able to contribute meaningfully to this discussion.

“Over the past year we’ve heard from people up and down the country about the pressure on social care services. We’ll be sharing this insight with the Government to help ensure the conversation fully reflects people’s experiences of social care, good and bad. If anyone has a story they want to share or an idea they think might help, I urge them to get involved and speak to their local Healthwatch.”