Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to manage the risks of care provider collapse, in particular to ensure that vulnerable individuals who rely on those services continue to receive care.

Local authorities have a duty under the Care Act 2014 to ensure continuity of care if a provider exits the market as a result of business failure. This means that people should continue to receive the care and support they need if their adult social care provider is no longer able to carry on delivering services.

The Care Act 2014 also provides for the Care Quality Commission to monitor the financial health of the largest and potentially most difficult-to-replace adult social care providers in England. This allows them to warn local authorities if a provider is likely to fail for financial reasons and gives local authorities time to stand up their contingency plans.