29-09-2025
Following the first meeting of Baroness Casey’s cross-party Social Care Commission on Monday 8 September, the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) and Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) have announced a series of research briefings on the approaches of the Scottish, Welsh, and United Kingdom (UK) Governments to building National Care Services (NCSs).
The Casey Commission (launched in July) has followed many seemingly endless attempts to address systemic issues in adult social care and lay the foundations for a National Care Service. In the past 27 years, there have been 27 separate white papers, reviews, and commissions on adult social care. With Chair Louise Casey keen to take forward improvements for the sector, time will tell whether the new commission will deliver the desperately needed answers.
However, with UK nations at different points on their social care reform journeys, there are lessons to be learned. LGIU and CIPFA’s new research series aims to help inform the work of the Casey Commission by bringing together key sector voices from Scotland, Wales and England to explore themes around the NCS's progress in Scotland, England, and Wales from policy inception to present, lessons learned from each country's journey and the wider implications of adult social care reform and an NCS in each country.
The first research briefing (launched on 29 September) looks at the story so far across the three nations and draws some broad conclusions about the success or otherwise of each approach.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of LGIU said:
“Addressing the social care crisis is fundamental to placing local government finances on a sustainable footing. Our annual State of Local Government Finance research consistently highlights the cost of delivering social care as one of the most pernicious long-term threats to council finances. In recent years, we’ve seen National Care Services crop up in each nation as a potential solution, but not as much work comparing what these might look like or the lessons the nations can learn from one another.
I am delighted that LGIU’s Local Democracy Research Centre is working with CIPFA to explore the progress of establishing National Care Services in Scotland, England, and Wales so far, including lessons learned and how these can be adopted across the UK going forward. Our key organisational focus on local government and CIPFA’s expertise on finance will allow us to tackle the thorny questions of who will be delivering care in a National Care Service and how we will pay for it.
Our hope is that this series of three briefings can help inform the work of the Casey Commission and will contribute to debates around the experience and future of adult social care reform in Scotland and Wales.”
CIPFA CEO Owen Mapley, said:
“Reform of adult social care is one of the most pressing financial and policy challenges facing the UK. Through this joint research with LGIU, we want to bring the financial realities to the fore and ensure that any future National Care Service is not only ambitious in scope, but also deliverable in practice.
“Looking across Scotland, Wales and England, it is vital that we learn from the progress — and the pitfalls — of each approach to build a model of care that is equitable, financially sustainable and capable of meeting the needs of our ageing population.
“We hope this work will support the Casey Commission in driving forward meaningful reform that finally secures a fair and lasting solution for adult social care.”
Notes to editor
- The joint LGIU–CIPFA research series on National Care Services will publish three briefings between September and December 2025.
- Download the first briefing, National Care Services: The story so far in Scotland, Wales and England, which was launched on 29 September 2025.
- The Casey Commission on Social Care was launched in July 2025, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey. It aims to provide recommendations on the future of adult social care in England.
- LGIU’s Local Democracy Research Centre works with academics, practitioners, and partner organisations to produce original research on local democracy, governance, and finance.
- CIPFA is the leading commentator on managing and accounting for public money, working across the UK and internationally to promote sound public financial management and good governance.
About CIPFA
CIPFA, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, is the professional body for people in public finance and a registered charity. CIPFA shows the way in public finance globally, standing up for sound public financial management and good governance around the world as the leading commentator on managing and accounting for public money.
About The LGIU
The LGIU is an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation working to make local democracy around the world collectively stronger, through shared ideas, resources and connections for local government.