Ethical care: A bold reform agenda for adult social care

This report identifies the three main drivers of quality in social care, and highlights some examples of innovative and high-quality care across England. In the context of a growing gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, we must broaden our ideas about what high-quality care consists of, to include improving people’s wellbeing as they age, and therefore activities designed to engender purpose, meaning and social connection.

Enabling people to live fulfilling and meaningful lives as they grow older must be at the heart of our vision for social care. In this report, we call for a package of interventions across three areas: a long-term funding settlement for social care; a ‘new deal’ for the social care workforce to ensure social care staff are well-trained, well-paid and well-respected; and a new ethical commissioning charter to drive low-quality and unethical providers out of the market.