Look Ahead welcomes PM’s renewed commitment to social care reform

Chris Hampson, Chief Executive of Look Ahead, said: “For too long, social care has been treated as an issue for tomorrow, when the reality for people, families, care workers and NHS services is urgent today. If we are serious about restoring the NHS, we must also be serious about investing in the housing, care and support that help people stay well, live independently and avoid hospital wherever possible.”

This is not an abstract policy debate. In Newham, our Ibis Stepdown Service provides a vital discharge route from mental health wards and helped the local NHS cut £370,000 of spending on private beds within six months of opening.

The case for reform is also clear from our recent report, Breaking the Cycle, co-produced with the National Housing Federation and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It found that a lack of supported housing cost NHS mental health services £102 million in 2024/25. Housing with care has a principal role to play in helping people rebuild their lives outside hospital, while also making better use of NHS resources.

For too long, social care has been treated as “too difficult” to fix. The result is a system under intense pressure, with people, families, care workers and NHS services paying the price. The Prime Minister is right to acknowledge that corridor care, once associated with winter pressures, has become a year-round reality.

We welcome the move to accelerate the Casey Review to which we are pleased to have contributed evidence, as well as Mr Burnham’s renewed focus on improving pay, training and career routes for the social care workforce, and the start of cross-party talks on a future National Care Service. These are necessary steps away from what the Prime Minister calls “politics as usual” and towards the long-term settlement social care urgently needs.

As a supported housing and social care provider, Look Ahead is committed to continuing to work with government, the NHS, local authorities and partners to help build a system that is preventative, person-centred and rooted in people’s homes and communities.