Care Association Alliance Publishes New Policy Paper on Adult Social Care Funding Reform

The Care Association Alliance (CAA) has published the first paper in its new programme, Building a National Care Service: A Programme for Reform, setting out proposals for a long-term funding settlement for adult social care in England.

Released during the Local Government Association’s Annual Conference, the paper comes as national conversations around the future of adult social care continue, including Baroness Casey’s recently announced “Big Conversation” on adult social care reform.

The report argues that the growing demand for care requires a national approach to funding, providing greater certainty for individuals, long-term stability for providers and sustainable resources for local authorities.

What’s included?

The paper proposes a national funding settlement built around three core principles:

• National pooling of financial risk.
• A statutory entitlement to care based on assessed need.
• Local delivery within a consistent national framework.

It also sets out ten recommendations aimed at creating a more sustainable adult social care system.

Key proposals

Among the recommendations are:

• A ring-fenced national care grant for local authorities.
• A nationally consistent eligibility and entitlement framework.
• A national tariff for residential and domiciliary care.
• Reform of individual contributions, including a higher capital threshold and lifetime cap on care costs.
• Portable care packages that move with individuals.
• Stronger integration between health and social care services.
• Greater long-term certainty for providers through sustainable funding and market stability.

The paper also highlights the financial pressures currently facing the sector, noting that increasing demand, workforce challenges and inconsistent local funding continue to place significant strain on adult social care.

Why it matters

Whether or not these proposals are ultimately adopted, the paper provides a useful overview of many of the issues currently shaping national discussions around adult social care reform.

For providers, it offers valuable context ahead of future policy developments and may be helpful when engaging with local representatives, responding to consultations or contributing to wider conversations about the future of the sector.

Read the paper