Care

Elderly care: discharging our duties

3 January 2012 | Richard Humphries

The pressures facing the NHS from demographic change are building up all year round. Frail, elderly people deserve better from our health and social care services Read more

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Dilnot who?

7 December 2011 | Caroline Glendinning

Ministers have gone very quiet about the Dilnot Commission’s proposals on long-term care funding. An ominous sign given the scale of the financial challenges ahead Read more...

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Social care inspection: setting the record straight

2 December 2011 | John Goldup

Far from disregarding the expertise of social care professionals, Ofsted has it locked into its current programme of inspection and has won the respect of children’s services staff Read more

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Social care inspectors have lost respect

23 November 2011 | Ray Jones

A series of scandals have exposed a lack of understanding of social care in the ranks of both Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission. The watchdogs need to learn from the wisdom of those delivering the service Read more

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An OBR for social care?

16 November 2011 | James Lloyd

Attempts at reforming the care system have been stymied over the years by political barriers. We need an independent Office for Care and Living to educate the public and hold politicians to account Read more

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Personally speaking

19 October 2011 | Claudia Wood

Personalisation does not always require personal budgets. Person-centred care can be achieved in a number of ways, including in a residential setting Read more

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The Dilnot dilemma

12 October 2011 | James Lloyd

There is much support for the Dilnot Commission’s proposal to cap care costs for elderly people. But there are still many challenges to overcome and fears that politicians will simply ‘kick the can down the road’ Read more

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Keeping it personal

27 September 2011 | Claire Lambert

Personal budgets, and direct payments in particular, can enable those within the social care system to use funding in innovative ways. But support planning and a well developed provider market are needed to make the process work effectively Read more

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Lib Dems: taking a stand on welfare?

19 September 2011 | Claudia Wood

A motion that slipped under the radar at the Lib Dems’ conference in Birmingham could make a big difference to disabled claimants’ lives  Read more

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Disability cuts: how are you coping?

12 September 2011 | Claudia Wood

New research shows there as many ways of making cuts to disability services as there are authorities – and there’s no ‘magic bullet’ for coping with them  Read more

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