The Government has set out immediate investment and reforms to improve adult social care and support the workforce with thousands more disabled people to receive home adaptations.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting will confirm an £86 million boost to the Disabled Facilities Grant for this financial year – on top of the £86 million announced for next financial year at the Budget, taking the annual total to £711 million – to allow 7,800 more disabled and elderly people to make vital improvements to their home, allowing them to live more independent lives and reducing hospitalisations. 

Alongside the funding, the government’s immediate action to support adult social care also includes harnessing the power of care technology to transform care and support older people to live at home for longer, cutting red tape to ensure billions of joint NHS and social care funding is keeping people healthy and taking pressure off the NHS, as well as improved career pathways for care workers and new national standards to ensure providers and families use the best care technology. 

Care workers will be better supported to take on further duties to deliver health interventions, such as blood pressure checks, meaning people can receive more routine checks and care at home without needing to travel to healthcare settings.

The national career structure for care staff will also be expanded, ensuring there are opportunities for career progression and development pathways. Upskilling carers will not only help boost morale and the retention of care workers, but it will also lead to improved outcomes for patients. 

The government will develop a shared digital platform to allow up-to-date medical information to be shared between the NHS and care staff, including when someone last took their medication, to ensure people receive the best possible care. 

The changes announced today will support the adult social care sector to give people the best possible care in the most appropriate place. It will also deliver on the government’s Plan for Change by reducing the amount of time patients spend in hospital. 

Alongside immediate steps to ease pressure on the sector and improve support for care workers, the government is also kickstarting work on the necessary long-term reform to overhaul social care and address the inherited challenges it faces.

As set out in the manifesto, this deep reform will include the creation of a national care service underpinned by national standards, delivering consistency of care across the country. As a first step, the government will launch an independent commission into adult social care to be chaired by The Baroness Casey of Blackstock DBE CB, to inform the work needed to deliver this. 

The commission, reporting to the Prime Minister, will work with people drawing on care and support, families, staff, politicians and the public, private and third sector to make clear recommendations for how to rebuild the adult social care system to meet the current and future needs of the population.

Baroness Louise Casey, of Blackstock said:

Millions of older people, disabled people, their families and carers rely upon an effective adult social care system to live their lives to the full, with independence and dignity. An independent commission is an opportunity to start a national conversation, find the solutions and build consensus on a long-term plan to fix the system. I am pleased the Prime Minister has asked me to lead this vital work.

Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock said:

Baroness Casey’s commission will build cross-party consensus, and will lay the foundations for a national care service that’s rooted in fairness and equality. It will tackle both the immediate issues and the fundamental challenges that must be addressed if we are to get our adult social care system back on its feet and fit for the future. The Casey Commission is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform adult social care, and to ensure that everyone is able to live with the dignity, independence and quality of life that they deserve.

You can read more about the plans on the Government website by clicking here.

---

If you would like to read more about the Disabled Facilities Grant, you can see our Purpl Guide here where we talk through what is a Disabled Facilities Grant, who is eligible and how to apply for a DFG.

We have a whole host of guides supporting you with everything you need to know about different disability benefits and other support available.

How to Apply for Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
Other PIP Discounts
How to Apply for Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
ESA and Permitted Work
Disabled Bus Pass Guide
Car Tax Discounts for Disabled People
How to Apply for Access to Work
Disabled Student Allowance (DSA)
Disabled Person’s Railcard
Toll Concessions for Disabled People

---

Purpl is all about saving the disabled community money through disabled discount codes and offers to help you offset the cost of living with a disability.