Commission into adult social care reform launches

02/05/2025

Today the terms of reference for the independent commission led by Baroness Louise Casey into adult social care reform were published.

The commission will report directly to the Prime Minister and will be split over two phases: 

• phase 1, reporting in 2026, will focus on making the most of existing resources to improve people’s lives over the medium term 

• phase 2, reporting by 2028, will then consider the long-term transformation of adult social care, setting the road to fundamental reform that will build a social care system fit for the future 

Helen Wildbore, Director of Care Rights UK, said:

“We welcome the direction of the independent commission into much-needed adult social care reform. Considering older people independently is a necessary approach, to build a care system that respects their rights and meets their unique needs.

We are also pleased to see that the commission will work across the Government departments, as there are too many cross-sectional issues such as evictions, staff retention, and the funding model, for real reform to be delivered in silos.

The timeline for implementing recommendations is stated as across the next decade. While some of the fundamental reforms needed to build a national care service will take time, we urge Baroness Casey to consider the actions that can be taken sooner, to address urgent problems that have been known and ignored for decades.

We caution the commission in its commitment to aligning with the health plan - of course it is imperative that the developments in each sector are complementary, but we cannot truly reform social care while still viewing it as a means of propping up the NHS. The older people we support need holistic, person-centred care in order to live with dignity and autonomy.”