Social care plays a vital role in supporting the wellbeing of people, families, and communities around the country, yet the system faces significant challenges with increasing demand, unmet need, rising costs and a fragile provider market.
National Care Services: The story so far in Scotland, Wales and England
CIPFA and the LGIU are publishing a series of briefings examining progress towards National Care Services (NCSs) in England, Scotland and Wales. This is the first of three briefings, and explores the ‘story so far’ in each country, from the inception of NCS policy to the current state of progress. It sets the scene for the two briefings to follow, which will focus respectively on lessons to be learned and the future direction of adult social care reform.
Download briefing 1: the story so far
Social care finance in focus
CIPFA’s online case study library of effective practice in local authority social care finance.
Find out more about the social care finance in focus case studies
Reform is essential to manage further increases in cost and demand. 63% of councils in England overspent on their adult social care budgets in 2022/23. Over 80% of councils overspent on children’s services in 2021/22, with a national overspend of almost £1bn. Planning for and managing the delivery of such volatile, demand-led services is far from easy, especially when resources are scarce. More and more local authorities are citing social care as a primary driver in the difficulty to balance budgets.
How CIPFA can help
CIPFA's expertise and unique position in local government means we can work with you to link financial management with the best outcomes for your community.
Contact us
To discuss how we can help you address the issues around your social care services please contact William Burns: william.burns@cipfa.org.
CIPFA Thinks
Highlights of our adult and children's social care content from CIPFA Thinks.