Charity calls for care reform to be recognised as an "economic opportunity"

Known as the ‘voice of carers’, charity Carers UK has called for care market growth to be recognised as essential for the wider economy, benefitting both public and professional life through the development of new business models, innovation in health and care technologies and the thriving workforce necessary to meet the needs of an ageing population.

The report ‘Growing the Care Market’ has been partly inspired by a new care strategy implemented in France – the French Borloo Development Plan – that has so far been successful in creating 100,000 jobs a year. The UK care sector will need to grow in a similar way if the needs of older people are to be met, but Carers UK feel the country should focus on the positive rather than considering escalating care needs as some kind of pending ‘timebomb’.

Chief executive Helena Herklots said: “It’s time to turn the demographic challenge into an economic opportunity. Instead of seeing growing care needs as a ‘demographic problem’ we need to reshape our economy, workplaces and services to fit the needs of modern families. The current crisis in care means that Government cannot escape the need to invest in chronically underfunded social care services. But whether you are an individual buying your own care or a local council commissioning social care services – it is in all our interests to cultivate a vibrant care market.”

Looking to identify key issues, the report targets the role of local authorities as having a huge impact of the ability of care services to develop, due to councils being the main purchasers of care, while attempts to drive up the personalisation of social care need to speed up.

The charity wants a more versatile form of localism to drive improvements rather than act as a barrier to it, though stresses that reform needs to stimulate private and voluntary sectors also, to offer incentive to prospective employers and to suit the potential of insurers to contribute.

Parliament is scheduled to debate care reform in June with the sector hoping for a White Paper that answers the long-term financing issues that many charities and experts believe have already put the industry in crisis.