Value for Money
The adult social care market in England
Published 25 March 2021
7 recommendations
Department of Health and Social Care, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Commercial and financial managementCommissioning servicesCorporate financeHealth and social careLocal governmentLocal service deliveryLocal services and housingSocial care
nao.org.uk
This report examines the current care market and the Department of Health & Social Care’s role in overseeing it.
Recommendations (7)
Source: NAO Recommendations Tracker
Department of Health and Social Care
Rec 1
Accepted
Implemented
The Department should:
a) as a priority, set out a cross-government, long-term, funded vision for care. It should collaborate with the Ministry and local government in particular; factoring in sector and user perspectives, such as people with lived experience;
Department of Health and Social Care
Rec 2
Accepted
Implemented
b) develop a workforce strategy, in line with its previous commitments, to recruit, retain and develop staff, aligned with the NHS People plan where appropriate;
Department of Health and Social Care
Rec 3
Rejected
c) in conjunction with the Ministry, Department for Work & Pensions and local government, develop a cross-government strategy for the range of accommodation and housing needed for people with care needs, and how to fund it;
Department of Health and Social Care
Rec 4
Partially Accepted
Implemented
d) assess the performance and cost data it needs to gain assurance over the system’s performance as a whole and the potential costs to the sector of
providing these data, bearing in mind its current proposals for enhanced accountability and oversight;
Department of Health and Social Care
Rec 5
Accepted
Work in Progress
e) address significant gaps in the performance and cost data it collects on care, particularly on self-funders and unmet need. In doing so, it should be mindful of, and assess, the potential burden on local authorities and care providers;
Department of Health and Social Care
Rec 6
Accepted
Implemented
f) consult on options for enhancing support for local commissioners which promotes an integrated approach and incentivises commissioning for outcomes; and
Department of Health and Social Care
Rec 7
Accepted
Implemented
g) explore with CQC how best to increase visibility of and transparency over providers’ financial sustainability and costs, bearing in mind operational and legal practicalities.