It is not often that more than twenty social care CEOs and leaders clear their diaries for a few hours. But thanks to Access Care Management and Daniel Casson, they did. Their purpose was to put the government’s flagship 10-Year Health Plan under the microscope and start shaping the solutions to make it actionable.
Chaired by Kathryn Marsden OBE (Formerly Kathryn Smith OBE), CEO of SCIE, and our CEO,Gary Fee, the session wasted no time. Kathryn set the scene: the Plan promises care closer to home, digitised pathways and prevention. But social care barely features. Without it, the Plan risks collapse before it begins.
Damian Green, Chair of the Social Care Foundation and former Deputy Prime Minister, cut to the heart of it:
“Without parity of esteem for social care and integration with the NHS, the 10-Year Plan will not deliver.”
Gary then called the sector to act. “The Plan will stand or fall on outcomes, and those outcomes depend on social care,” he said, urging leaders to step forward with confidence and solutions.
His message was clear: it is time to claim our seat and bring the answers the nation is waiting for. If the Plan is going to work, it will be because social care chose to lead. Not someday. But now.
