The House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee (“The Committee”) is conducting an inquiry into the adult social care sector which is often described as ‘invisible’. The inquiry is titled, ‘Lifting the veil: Removing the invisibility of adult social care’ and The Committee is inviting all stakeholders to submit written evidence by 27 May 2022.
According to Baroness Andrews, the main purpose of the inquiry “is to understand and recognise how these barriers of invisibility can be dismantled and how both those who receive different types of support and care at different ages can meet their aspirations for a full life, as well as their families and friends who care for them.”
The focus of this inquiry will be on three key issues:
- Invisibility of adult social care and its consequences;
- Better support for carers; and
- Putting co-production at the heart of care.
The Committee hopes to listen to and learn from those with first-hand experience and knowledge of the sector so that they can, “reflect on what the meaning of social care should be and ask how far the system remains from realising that meaning in the everyday lives of people who draw on care.”
This comes at a time when the sector has been desperate for help at a legislative level. Providers have long felt that adult social care has flown under the radar in terms of funding and resources available to them to ensure that they are able to deliver their services to an adequate standard for their service users.
Providers now have the chance to submit their views and encourage lawmakers to implement legislation that will actually have a positive impact on their ability to deliver care and ensure that high quality care is delivered.
