Trying to get social care can be 'horrendous', Baroness Casey tells BBC

"People spend hours and hours and weeks and weeks trying to sort out care for their family. Dealing with all sorts of issues from the multiple different letters, the multiple different assessments, multiple financial assessments. The care system is fragile and divided, with drawn out discussions over who pays for what, making it anxiety-laden and confusing for those who need support."

"We've still got people earning less than the minimum wage. They are often not paid for travel, they are often not paid for holidays. The care system relies on the exploitation of its workforce and an imbalance in power between the NHS and council-run social care, which ends up serving the institutions not people."

"A stock-take is needed to create an adult social care system which meets the needs of the current population, as people are increasingly living longer with more complex needs. Cross party political support would be needed to bring about the fundamental change required."

England's adult social care system is fragmented, confusing, and inadequately structured to support older and disabled people. Baroness Louise Casey, chair of the independent commission on adult social care, describes the experience for those seeking help as "horrendous." The system is characterized by prolonged bureaucratic processes involving multiple assessments, financial evaluations, and confusing communications that leave families spending weeks organizing care. The system relies heavily on underpaying care workers, many earning below minimum wage without compensation for travel or holidays. Power imbalances between NHS hospital trusts and council-run social care prioritize institutional needs over individual support. Fundamental reform requires cross-party political support and a comprehensive reassessment to create a system meeting current population needs as people live longer with increasingly complex health requirements.

Read at www.bbc.com