by Aemulator AdminThe Casey Commission
The Casey Commission is an independent body established by the UK government in January 2025 to spearhead a comprehensive reform of adult social care in England. Chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, the commission aims to lay the groundwork for a National Care Service, akin to the NHS, to ensure consistent, high-quality care across the country.
The commission’s primary objectives are to:
- Identify immediate and long-term challenges in adult social care, such as underfunding, staffing shortages, and increasing demand.
- Develop sustainable solutions for effective service delivery and funding mechanisms.
- Enhance integration between social care and the NHS to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.
It will engage with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including care recipients, families, care workers, local authorities, and representatives from the public, private, and third sectors, to build a national consensus on the future of adult social care.
The commission’s work is structured into two phases:
- Phase One: Commencing in April 2025, with findings expected by mid-2026. This phase focuses on identifying critical issues and proposing medium-term recommendations.
- Phase Two: Following the completion of Phase One, with a final report due by 2028. This phase aims to make long-term recommendations for transforming adult social care, including considerations for funding and service organization.
While the commission has been welcomed as a significant step towards reform, several stakeholders have expressed concerns that the timeline is too long which could delay urgently needed reforms or that the commission might reiterate known issues without leading to firm action.
