A Labour government would reform NHS hospitals to become integrated care organisations under plans to merge physical, mental and social provision, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham announced today...
Labour leader Ed Miliband has set out a 10-year plan for Britain’s future that includes a £2.5bn boost for health and social care, a large expansion of housebuilding and halving the number of low-...
Health minister Dan Poulter has insisted implementation of a host of reforms to social care will not place undue pressure on local authority budgets at a time of funding constraints in town halls.
An independent commission examining reforms to social care funding has called for some care to be made free at the point of use as part of a host of reforms to provision, paid for by charging...
Bad news stories are keeping the NHS in the headlines, despite the best efforts of ministers to shift the public’s gaze elsewhere before the election. Now two authoritative reports suggest there is a...
Councils’ spending on looked-after children rose by 4% in the four years to the end of 2012/13, despite a 12% increase in the number of children they are responsible for over the same period, Audit...
The Department of Health has slashed the number of Better Care Fund areas that are fast-tracking their plans from 14 to six, Public Finance can reveal.
A programme to support troubled families has been expanded to help vulnerable younger children get a better start in life, the government announced today.
A programme supporting families facing multiple problems will be expanded by more than four times to help some 500,000 households, the government announced today.
Low-income families are struggling to find good quality, affordable and flexible childcare providers, the Citizens Advice has said today as it called for councils to be given a stronger oversight...
Changes to the government’s flagship Better Care Fund, which could see funding diverted to hospitals, are needed to ensure the scheme is effective, health minister Dr Dan Poulter has said.
Whitehall does not fully understand the scale of the social care challenge facing local authorities or the costs associated with implementing the Care Act, the Public Accounts Committee has warned.
NHS chief executive Simon Stevens today set out plans for the health service and councils to work together to give people with high care needs greater control over their treatment as part of a ‘big...
The Department of Health has confirmed that it will legislate to ensure fundamental standards of care are being followed by all health and social care providers.
Ministers have altered the rules governing the flagship Better Care Fund to allow it to support hospital services if local integration plans fail to reduce admissions.
Councils in England face a £5.8bn funding gap over the next two years, and spending on adult social will tip councils into financial crisis if reforms are not successful, the Local Government...
Public service inspectorates are seeking views on how they can work together to assess what local agencies are doing to help children and young people.
Ofsted’s revised inspection criteria for children’s services is succeeding in shifting assessments on to the experiences of children, young people and families, according to an independent expert...
Government plans to integrate public services and spending mean it is vital that reforms are also made to the regime for dealing with complaints about poor provision, the Whitehall ombudsman has said.
Complaints about adult social care increased by 14% over the last year to stand at nearly 2,500, with the vast majority about council-delivered services, the local government ombudsman has said today.
Involving users in public service delivery could unlock billions of pounds in savings, a report by the government’s reviewer of public service choice has concluded.
Labour has pledged to end the practice of local authorities commissioning 15-minute home care visits after a review found that elderly people in nearly two-thirds of areas were receiving this ‘clock...