An article by HSMC's Jon Glasby entitled 'Turn the welfare state on its head to fix social care' was recently published in 'The Conversation'. Jon writes:

Professor Jon Glasby

"It should come as no surprise to anyone that there is a growing crisis in adult social care. Policymakers, practitioners and people using services alike all argue that the current system is fundamentally “broken”. This is not the fault of current managers or front-line professionals – we just have a 1940s system designed with 1940s aspirations and society in mind, which feels increasingly unfit for purpose in terms of how we live other aspects of our life in the early 21st century.

This has come to the fore yet again this week, with debates about 15-minute home care calls and accusations from a leading charity Leonard Cheshire Disability that older people are being left with their needs unmet. With massive cuts in services and rising demand, adult social care has effectively become a “poverty” service – provided only to people with very low incomes and very high needs. Anyone else simply has to manage by themselves as best they can.

To older people and other members of the public who thought the welfare state would support them from the cradle to the grave, these harsh realities feel like a major betrayal..."

Read the full article in The Conversation here

Read the Policy Paper 'Turning the welfare state upside down?' Developing a new adult social care offer' (PDF)