Earlier this week I spoke at a brilliant virtual roundtable organised by New Local and Social Care Future- two organisations that are campaigning for people who have lived experience of social care to be essential in shaping its future. You can read more about the work of New Local here and Social Care Future here

The event was to discuss how community power can create a brighter social care future. I made the point that social care has to be funded nationally, but delivered locally. Crucial to this is politicians recognising communities know best and empowering them to shape the services they want to see in their area. The social care reform we need to see won’t get anywhere unless we do this.

We also discussed how we need to change the narrative on social care and start to see it differently. It isn’t about doing things “to” or “for” people, or just about helping them get up, washed, dressed & fed. At its best, social care is about ensuring we can all live in the place we call home, with the people we love, in communities that look out for one another, doing the things that matter most to us. Social Care Future have pioneered this vision, and it’s one a future Labour government will deliver.