Wolverhampton residents urged to have their say on future of adult social care

People across Wolverhampton are being invited to help shape the future of adult social care as part of a national conversation looking at how care services could change for future generations.

The Independent Commission on Adult Social Care has launched its Big Conversation on Care, giving members of the public the chance to share their views on what a potential National Care Service in England could look like.

The commission is examining how adult social care should develop to better meet the needs of people now and in the future, with feedback from the public helping to inform recommendations for reform.

Baroness Casey of Blackstock, who is leading the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, said the current system had been caught in a cycle of crisis and repeated reviews without lasting change.

“For too long, we have been stuck in the same cycle: crisis, promises of reform, another review, and then retreat, while the people who need care, and their families, bear the brunt,” she said.

“Social care affects every family in this country: whether we need care ourselves, care for someone we love, work in care, or pay for it through our taxes.

“That’s why I am launching The Big Conversation on Care. I want people to help us face the hard questions about how we can build a National Care Service. It is only by listening to the public that we can build the agreement needed for lasting reform.”

Councillor Linda Leach, Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Services, encouraged local residents to take part and share their experiences.

“Adult social care affects millions of people across the country, supporting older people, and people with disabilities and long term health conditions with a wide range of everyday tasks, helping them to live independently and safely,” she said.

“The Big Conversation on Care will help answer some of the most fundamental questions about who care should be for, how we support our families and ultimately how we pay for it.

“It’s vital residents have their say as part of this consultation, and to use their experiences to shape future services and support for the better, so please take a few moments to join the Big Conversation on Care.”

The consultation asks people to consider key questions, including who should support people when they are older, disabled, or living with a serious illness, and what that support should look like.

Residents can share their own ideas, discuss the support they need, and vote on suggestions from others.

Feedback gathered through the Big Conversation on Care will be considered alongside evidence from people who use social care services, their families, and those who work in the sector.

The findings will help shape the commission’s recommendations to Government on the future of adult social care.

Residents can take part by visiting the Big Conversation on Care online.