A series of annual reports summarized policy developments in European countries in the fields of pensions, healthcare, and long-term care. The United Kingdom report said that the existing structure of the pension system led to undersaving by a substantial proportion of the population; described the coalition government's plans for National Health Service reform as a 'big gamble' in the face of opposition from core stakeholders; and said that the social care system was in 'urgent need of reform'.
Source: Martin Seeleib-Kaiser, Pensions, Health Care and Long-term Care: United Kingdom Annual Report 2011, Analytic Support on the Socio-Economic Impact of Social Protection Reforms – Expert Network (European Commission)
Links: UK report | 2011 reports (links)
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the relevance of strategy in health and social care. Strategy in the context of recent reforms in health and social care was more likely to be characterized as 'emergent and processual'.
Source: Steve Willcocks, 'Understanding strategy, change and leadership in UK health and social care', Journal of Integrated Care, Volume 19 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
A discussion paper examined the causes of the funding problem in long-term social care in England. The underlying cause was not a shortage of money or resources, but rather issues of politics and governance, such as: the varied, 'indefinable' nature of social care; the illogical, complex 'mess' of institutions overseeing social care policy; and public ignorance of what social care was and what outcomes represented quality. The author called for the creation of a statutory 'Office for Care and Living', which would undertake a number of strategic functions, such as public education and data provision, in order to ensure a properly funded social care system.
Source: James Lloyd, Politics and the Care Conundrum: Why does England have a problem funding social care?, Strategic Society Centre
Links: Paper | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined the different approaches taken by European countries to the financing of long-term care systems.
Source: Joan Costa-Font and Christophe Courbage (eds.), Financing Long-Term Care in Europe: Institutions, markets and models, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Oct
A think-tank report examined the future of personalized care. Personal budgets in general, and direct payments in particular, might not be the most effective way to provide personalization for groups including people with palliative care needs, with reduced capacity, or in collective settings. The report called for care homes to introduce democratic processes that enabled residents to become involved in management decisions.
Source: Claudia Wood, Tailor Made, Demos
Links: Report | Sue Ryder press release | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Oct
An article examined the Law Commission's final recommendations for the reform of adult social care, with a particular emphasis on the recommendations for a new legal framework for adult safeguarding in England and Wales. It said that a single legal framework for adult social care, including adult safeguarding, would have substantial benefits in terms of legal clarity, consistency, and efficiency.
Source: Tim Spencer-Lane, ' Reforming the legal framework for adult safeguarding: the Law Commission's final recommendations on adult social care', Journal of Adult Protection, Volume 13 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Oct
The coalition government began an 'engagement exercise' on future priorities for improving the social care system, following recommendations from the Law Commission and the Commission on Funding of Care and Support.
Source: Caring for our Future: Shared ambitions for care and support, Department of Health
Links: Report | Hansard | DH press release
Date: 2011-Sep
A report said that around 60,000 adults facing multiple needs and exclusions were being let down by services, living chaotic lives, and facing premature death because society failed to understand and co-ordinate the support that they needed. It called for effective, co-ordinated services for people with multiple needs, empowering them to tackle their problems, reach their full potential, and contribute to their communities.
Source: Anna Page and Oliver Hilbery, Turning the Tide: A vision paper for multiple needs and exclusions, Making Every Adult Matter/Revolving Doors Agency
Links: Report | MEAM/Revolving Doors press release
Date: 2011-Sep
A think-tank report examined the 'capped cost' model for social care proposed by the Commission on Funding of Care and Support (July 2011). The key strength of the Commission's recommendations was their recognition that the private sector could not make a big enough profit out of providing universal coverage against the potential 'catastrophic costs' of needing long-term care, and that this role therefore had to be performed by the state.
Source: James Lloyd, The First Step? A response to the Commission on Funding of Care and Support, Strategic Society Centre
Date: 2011-Aug
A think-tank report said that the debate on how to fund older people's long-term care had tended to emphasize a 'simplistic' menu of options, resulting in polarized positions among political parties. But the outcomes required of funding reform represented not one reform but many, which varied in their complexity and political sensitivity. This suggested the need for a 'stepping stones' strategy for reform that prioritized the shared steps required by different funding models; evaluated individual funding models as stepping stones, not just as end-points; and proceeded immediately in areas where consensus existed.
Source: James Lloyd, Stepping-Stones: A strategy for reforming long-term care funding, Strategic Society Centre
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jul
An article examined the introduction of new long-term care schemes in Europe since the early 1990s. It highlighted the dominance of internal factors in the process – in particular the significant impact of the political and social actors on decisions about policy design and the adoption of foreign models.
Source: Hildegard Theobald and Kristine Kern, 'The introduction of long-term care policy schemes: policy development, policy transfer and policy change', Policy & Politics, Volume 39 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jul
The report was published of a government-commissioned review (led by Andrew Dilnot) into the funding system for adult social care in England. It recommended that:
• Individuals' lifetime contributions towards their social care costs – which were currently potentially unlimited – should be capped. After the cap was reached, individuals would be eligible for full state support. This cap should be between £25,000 and £50,000: £35,000 was considered to be the most appropriate and fair figure.
• The means-tested threshold, above which people were liable for their full care costs, should be increased from £23,250 to £100,000.
• National eligibility criteria and portable assessments should be introduced to ensure greater consistency.
• All those who entered adulthood with a care and support need should be eligible for free state support immediately rather than being subjected to a means test.
The Commission estimated that its proposals – based on a cap of £35,000 – would cost the state an additional £1.7 billion per year.
Source: Fairer Care Funding, Commission on Funding of Care and Support
Links: Report | Evidence and analysis | Supporting documents | Letter | Commission press release | DH press release | Liberal Democrats press release | ADASS press release | Alzheimers Society press release | Carers UK press release | JRF press release | Kings Fund press release | Labour Party press release | Mencap press release | NCVO press release | NHS Confederation press release | PRTC press release | RCN press release | Rethink press release | SCIE press release | TLAP press release | TUC press release | Turning Point press release | BBC report | Community Care report | Guardian report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Jul
A new book examined the relationship between evidence, policy, and practice in health and social care. It considered how policy was implemented, and how research could and should influence the policy process. It criticized the notion of 'evidence-based practice', suggesting instead a more inclusive idea of 'knowledge-based practice', based in part on the lived experience of service users.
Source: Jon Glasby (ed.), Evidence, Policy and Practice: Critical perspectives in health and social care, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jun
A study (for an official commission) examined the views of both the general public and specific groups of people on how social care and support in England should be funded in the future. There was strong support for increasing the £23,250 savings threshold before people had to start paying for care, and for a cap on the private costs of care to limit liability for individuals.
Source: Ben Hewitson, Becky Seale, and Lucy Joyce, Public Engagement Exploring Care and Support Funding Options, Commission on the Funding of Care and Support
Links: Report | Commission press release | Community Care report
Date: 2011-May
A report (by an official advisory body) called for a major overhaul of adult social care law in England and Wales in order to ensure fairer access to services. It said that the existing framework, covered by more than 40 laws, was 'outdated and flawed'. Instead there should be a single piece of legislation so that people were clear about their rights.
Source: Adult Social Care, LC326, HC 941, Law Commission, TSO
Links: Report | Summary | Impact assessment | DH press release | BASW press release | Counsel and Care press release | ECCA press release | LGA press release | PRTC press release | SCIE press release | BBC report | Community Care report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-May
A new book developed an analytical skills-based approach to understanding the role and importance of social policy in social welfare practice.
Source: Graeme Simpson and Stuart Connor, Social Policy for Social Welfare Professionals: Tools for understanding, analysis and engagement, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Apr
A report summarized the presentations made at a 'summit' meeting (held in February 2011) that considered issues relating to funding long-term care.
Source: Paying for Long Term Care, Reform
Links: Report | Reform press release
Date: 2011-Apr
A think-tank report examined how a 'National Care Fund' could be used to finance social care for elderly people. It developed a model built around social investment funds: these would pay an annual grant, which would be used by the Fund to purchase annuities from the insurance industry for all individuals entitled to make a claim in a given year.
Source: James Lloyd, Delivering a National Care Fund: How would a public-private partnership work?, Strategic Society Centre
Date: 2011-Apr
A new book examined the public inquiry that followed the death of Maria Colwell in the early 1970s, and its implications for the developing profession and practice of social work.
Source: Ian Butler and Mark Drakeford, Social Work on Trial: The Colwell Inquiry and the state of welfare, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Notes: Maria Colwell was killed by her stepfather in 1973, at the age of 7.
Date: 2011-Apr
An official commission on the funding of social care and support published a summary of responses to its call for evidence. There was strong support for the idea of national criteria and guidelines on assessment and eligibility – reducing local authorities' discretion in this area.
Source: Summary of Responses to the Call for Evidence, Commission on Funding of Care and Support
Links: Responses | Community Care report | Public Finance report
Notes: Call for evidence (December 2010)
Date: 2011-Apr
A think-tank report examined the effect of different types of charges and taxes on the value of estates, in the context of debate on the future funding of long-term care in England and Wales.
Source: James Lloyd, Charges, Taxes, Estates and Care: A comparative analysis, Strategic Society Centre
Date: 2011-Mar
The Law Commission published an analysis of responses received to its consultation on adult social care.
Source: Adult Social Care: Consultation Analysis, Law Commission
Links: Report | Law Gazette report
Notes: Consultation document (February 2010)
Date: 2011-Mar
A think-tank report examined what role immediate needs annuities should take in reform of the funding of long-term care in England and Wales. The limited size of the immediate needs annuity market meant that it would only ever play an 'extremely small' part in any reform of care funding. It could do very little to help policymakers address the incidence of 'catastrophic costs' in the long-term care funding system.
Source: James Lloyd, Immediate Needs Annuities: Their role in funding care, Strategic Society Centre
Date: 2011-Mar
A think-tank report examined what role a market in pre-funded insurance could play in funding long-term care, and whether such products could help policymakers achieve their objectives for the social care system.
Source: James Lloyd, Gone for Good? Pre-funded insurance for long-term care, Strategic Society Centre
Date: 2011-Mar
A new book examined the radical tradition within social work, and assessed its legacy, relevance, and prospects.
Source: Michael Lavalette (ed.), Radical Social Work Today: Social work at the crossroads, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Feb
The Welsh Assembly Government published a framework for the future of social services and social care. The plans included: portable assessments, allowing people to move location without having to have their needs reassessed; a national 'outline contract' for care homes to improve consistency of services; and a National Adoption Agency to improve rates of successful adoptions.
Source: Sustainable Social Services for Wales: A framework for action, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Framework | WAG press release | Adoption UK press release | BASW press release | CCW press release | CFW press release | WLGA press release | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Feb
A new book examined reform agendas in Europe in relation to long-term care systems.
Source: Joan Costa-Font (ed.), Reforming Long-term Care in Europe, Wiley
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jan
A think-tank report examined the potential for using inheritance tax to fund older people's long-term care. Although relatively easy to administer, the tax would make social care revenue streams highly vulnerable to fluctuations in property prices. With up to 90 per cent of estates potentially liable for the new tax, many households would probably move wealth around in order to reduce their liabilities, casting uncertainty on how much revenue would be generated. A form of 'carer penalty' would result for carers who gave up work – and income – to provide care to those whose estates would be liable for the estate tax.
Source: James Lloyd, Inheritance Tax: Could It Be Used to Fund Long-Term Care?, Strategic Society Centre
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jan
A report examined the interaction of formal and informal care in the context of reform to long-term care funding. Attaching an improved 'offer' for carers to a new settlement on care funding – effectively inviting households to insure against the burdens that could be associated with high levels of informal care provision – might be the key to unlocking public support for reform.
Source: James Lloyd, Toward a New Co-Production of Care, Strategic Society Centre
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jan
A paper set out a vision for adult social care funding. It defined those outcomes that a new settlement on the funding of care and support should seek to achieve, and provided a 'checklist' for stakeholders – defining key outcomes that could be sought from a new settlement on long-term care funding.
Source: James Lloyd, A Vision for Adult Social Care Funding, Strategic Society Centre
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Jan
An article proposed principles for reforming adult social care in England that drew on the experiences of other countries. Reforms in other countries were commonly driven by the desire to develop and/or maintain universal access to social care. Formerly fragmented, un-co-ordinated, and locally variable arrangements were being replaced with universal schemes, with national eligibility arrangements applicable to everyone regardless of age or ability to pay. Cash payments instead of services in kind were widely used. Policies for family carers were usually integral to overall long-term care arrangements. Even in federal systems such as Germany, Austria, and Spain, central governments played a crucial role in ensuring universal, equitable, and sustainable social care.
Source: Caroline Glendinning, 'Reforming adult social care: what can England learn from the experiences of other countries?', Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, Volume 11 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jan
A briefing paper examined issues and policy developments relating to adult social care in Northern Ireland.
Source: Ann Marie Gray and Goretti Horgan, Social Care in Northern Ireland, ARK (Queen's University Belfast/University of Ulster)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2011-Jan