Wednesday’s announcement that #socialcare will be a priority for the government feels like an important moment for everyone who cares about how we support the most vulnerable people in our society.
I was particularly proud to see the Prime Minister make this announcement at our sister organisation, Jewish Care, with colleagues from the National Care Forum. It feels significant that a national conversation about the future of care was hosted by the Jewish community, reflecting our long tradition and strong priority of caring for people across generations.
I’m also encouraged that Baroness Louise Casey’s long-awaited Independent Commission on Adult Social Care report is being brought forward to next summer. I have been concerned about the lengthy timeline for reform – we need swift, decisive recommendations that can turn ambition in a sector which is often held together with sticky tape into lasting change – and the launch of the Big Conversation on Care is equally welcome. I agree with the premise – for this to work, reform must be co-designed with people with lived experience and involve all the system's stakeholders.
It is also very encouraging to see a commitment to working across party lines. Social care is a national issue and needs a genuinely national conversation, using all the expertise we have.
At Norwood, we see both the importance of early intervention and the realities of adult social care every day.
Through our work supporting children and families where there is neurodivergence, we know the difference timely, high-quality support can make in preventing escalation. And through our adult residential services, we see the extraordinary value of compassionate care, alongside the significant and growing cost of providing it. We have a valuable perspective to bring to this conversation, and I look forward to engaging in it.
As my wise friend Baroness Polly Neate CBE LLD(hc) has argued in Civil Society Media Ltd, civil society must be a full partner in creating a more “preventative state”, one where we are genuinely committed to early intervention rather than waiting till families reach crisis point. That requires real culture change, and I am proud that it reflects Norwood's approach to supporting families.
I hope this is the beginning of a genuinely national conversation: one that puts people with lived experience, families, providers and the voluntary and charitable sector at its heart.
Norwood has both the experience and expertise to participate, and we will be ready to play our part.
Naomi Dickson is CEO of Norwood
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