After almost two years of broken promises on social care reform, the Government have once again failed to bring forward details of their plans on social care. Today’s Queens Speech announced that reform would be ‘brought forward’ – but gave no detail on what this would look like. Social […]
Social Care
Publish social care crisis plan in Queen’s Speech, voters tell Boris Johnson
A new survey has revealed that 69% of people believe social care should be a top priority. This pandemic has laid bare the challenges our social care system has faced over the last decade. The Conservative Party weakened its foundations by cutting local authority social care budgets by £8 billion, […]
Liz joins Rights for Residents campaigners
Yesterday I joined Rights for Residents at their virtual petition hand-in on Parliament Square. I spoke to campaigners about their experiences of being unable to visit their loved ones in care homes, and how it has impacted on their lives. Rights for Residents have been campaigning tirelessly for the rights of […]
Liz sets out Labour’s priorities for social care reform
As part of my speech at the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services Spring Conference, I am today calling for social care to be treated as part of Britain’s infrastructure, treating it the same way we would the roads and railways. If you neglect your country’s physical infrastructure, you […]
Liz speaks in Westminster Hall debate on social care and Covid-19
Yesterday I spoke in the Westminster Hall debate on ‘social care and the Covid-19 outbreak’. For all of us, the tragedy in social care during this pandemic will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Over 41,000 care home residents have died from coronavirus, and a third of […]
Liz meets unpaid carers
Earlier today, I met with unpaid carers in a meeting organised by Carers UK. I was struck by the incredible resilience of the carers I spoke to and their dedication to the loved ones they care for, but it was clear that they need more support. Covid-19 has meant that carers have […]
Liz responds to new guidance on care home visits
The Government looks set to announce new guidance this week allowing care home residents in England to have two regular visitors from the 12th April. Families are absolutely crucial for the physical and mental health of care home residents, and as infection rates in care homes continue to fall it […]
All care homes in England are finally vaccinated against Covid – nearly four MONTHS after rollout began
All care homes in England have now been offered the vaccine. However, there are still a number of elderly people who haven’t been reached by vaccine teams. The Government promised that all over-80s would be vaccinated by mid-February, and yet in some places up to one in four elderly people […]
Lack of social care strategy left system weakened when Covid struck
The latest report from the National Audit Office shows how the Government’s years of failure to get a grip on the social care crisis has left thousands without the help they need. This highlights what we have known for a long while – that long-term reform for social care is needed […]
Liz calls for social care reform on BBC Radio 4 Today
I spoke to BBC Radio 4 Today about the urgent need for social care reform a year on from the start of the first lockdown. More than 31,000 care home residents have died from Covid-19 so far. This is a much higher proportion than in many other countries. As we […]
Carers who sleep overnight at work in case they are needed not entitled to minimum wage for whole shift – Supreme Court rules
It’s extremely disappointing that the Supreme Court came to this decision. Care workers do a highly skilled and difficult role and they should be paid fairly for every hour of the work they do. Crucially, no care workers should see their pay fall as a result of this ruling and […]
Census 2021 is a once in a decade opportunity to understand the scale of unpaid care being provided in Leicester
Yesterday I appeared on BBC East Midlands Today to talk about the Census this weekend, and how it is a fantastic opportunity to understand the scale of unpaid care being provided in Leicester. The Census is important as the results will help organisations, including local authorities and charities, to […]