Adult Social Care

Lord Bishop of London Excerpts

Monday 16th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

As the noble Lord rightly outlines, this is a move, over a number of years, to reduce the reliance on international recruitment. I am really glad that just a couple of weeks ago the Department for Education announced the launch of a health and social care foundation apprenticeship, set to begin in August this year. This is focused on young people and will give them a paid route into the sector so that they can earn as well as gain skills and experience. It will be a wonderful foundation for young people, ensuring that they are encouraged into what is an extremely valuable sector and will have the right skills, including technical skills, and the ability to carry out the job. That is just one of the measures but it is an extremely positive initiative, as the noble Lord calls for.

[The Lord Bishop of London]

My Lords, given the well-documented regional and social economic disparities in access to adult social care, in what way are the Government, in focusing on the shortages in the workforce, focusing their efforts on tackling this inequality in access?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

In general terms, of course, the independent commission into adult social care will be part of our critical first steps towards delivering a national care service. The commission, as the right reverend Prelate is well aware, will be chaired by the noble Baroness, Lady Casey. I agree with the right reverend Prelate that there are particular demands in certain local areas, and the strategy will take account of that, including the fact that, based on the growth of the population aged 65 and above, the sector may need 540,000 extra new posts by 2040. That is a big challenge, but by setting up the professionalisation, the training, the skilling and the fair pay for people, it is one that we will be in a much better place, across the country, to be able to deliver on.