Add your voice: "The Big Conversation on Care" about Adult Social Care Reforms in England.
July 29, 2026. Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, announced social care reforms today. Baroness Louise Casey launched a new initiative to involve the public.
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Social Care Reforms were announced as part of a Press conference today, July 29th,
In this article:
How to share your opinion and contribute to “The Big Conversation” about Social Care reform.
July 2026 Newsletter: The Big Conversation on Care is now live
A video podcast “Andy Burnham on Social Care - Do I Sound Like I Care? Podcast” published July 1 2024 by Louise Lynch
1. Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, announces Social Care Reforms
Timestamps:
At 11:55 Yvette Cooper Health Secretary
At 16:04 Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock, Chair of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, introduces “The Big Conversation on Care.”
At 21:39 Prime Minister Andy Burnham talks about Social Care and introduces 3 reforms
[A short summary of the video using Otter AI]
Social care reform: a new push for a National Care Service
At Jewish Care in North London, Yvette Cooper, Baroness Louise Casey and Andy Burnham set out a renewed attempt to reform adult social care.
Yvette Cooper, Health Secretary MP
Yvette Cooper opened by recognising the work of Jewish Care and the importance of putting families at the heart of social care. She described social care as “personal for many of us” and said it matters even to people not directly affected, because a broken care system can also put unbearable pressure on families and the NHS.
She pointed to the long history of failed reform, noting that there have been “22 different attempts to reform social care” since the late 1990s. Cooper welcomed Baroness Casey’s Independent Commission and “The Big Conversation” as a chance to involve people across the country in shaping a better system.
She also highlighted the government’s ministerial group, which she said would accelerate work on the workforce, system reform and early recommendations, including the appointment of a dementia czar.
“We cannot keep walking away from this problem. We cannot keep walking around the same circles because this is so important.”
Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock, Chair of the Independent Commission
Baroness Casey spoke about the need to make life easier for people living with care needs, rather than allowing public services to make already difficult circumstances harder. She said the Commission had looked closely at previous reviews and found that one thing had been missing: a genuine national conversation.
She stressed that this cannot be a narrow consultation around a specific topic, as has happened in the past, but a broader involvement of the public in fundamental questions: what care means, who should receive it, what families can reasonably do, when the state should step in, and who pays.
Casey described “The Big Conversation on Care” as an opportunity to renegotiate the social contract around care, drawing on the country’s ability to do difficult things when it chooses to act together.
“Nobody had the big conversation. What does care mean? Who should get it? What should you do as a family? How much could you do for yourself, and how do we get this right?”
The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham: three reforms to move social care forward
Andy Burnham spoke personally about his family’s experience of social care and his father’s Alzheimer’s. He began by praising care workers, saying their skill, professionalism and compassion are too often undervalued. He said those caring for “someone else’s dad or someone else’s mum” should be among the best-paid people in society, not the worst.
He then turned to what he saw as the failures of politics. Burnham said Parliament had allowed almost 30 years to pass since the Royal Commission on Social Care, with repeated reviews but no lasting settlement. He described that as a “major dereliction of public duty” and said politics must move from point-scoring to problem-solving.
1. Bringing forward the review
Burnham’s first reform is to ask Baroness Casey to bring forward the Independent Commission’s review by a year (this time next year, 2027). He said the issue needs urgency and that the review should look at how to create a National Care Service for England.
He described this as a system that would sit alongside the NHS, be highly integrated with it, and still remain person-centred rather than over-medicalised. He also emphasised a principle of “home care wherever possible”, so that people can be supported where they are, instead of ending up unnecessarily in hospital.
“The first thing is to ask Baroness Casey, Louise, to bring forward her review by a year.”
“How do we deliver a National Care Service in England that sits alongside the National Health Service, works in a similar way, that is highly integrated and can optimise the journey of a patient?”
2. Focusing immediately on the social care workforce
Burnham’s second reform is to act now on the social care workforce rather than waiting for the review. He welcomed the already-agreed fair pay agreement for social care staff, due in 2028–29, but said this needs to become part of a wider reform.
He wants the ministerial group to look at how to improve pay, training, security and career progression for care workers, including stronger links with NHS roles. His argument was that a National Care Service cannot be built without strengthening the people at the front line.
“The second announcement is to immediately, and not wait for the review, focus on the social care workforce.”
“We will not get the care service we all want until we improve the strength and the capability of care at the very front of the service.”
3. Starting cross-party talks
Burnham’s third reform is to begin cross-party talks on social care immediately. He acknowledged that attempts had been made before and that he had “some of the scars” from previous efforts, but said this was still the right thing to do.
He linked the talks to his wider promise of a different kind of politics: “more problem solving, less point scoring.” Burnham said a lasting solution would require political parties to listen to one another, find common ground and build a new social consensus.
“The third announcement is to start right now initiating cross-party talks on social care.”
“We won’t fix this through politics as usual. We have to bring a different approach.”
“We’re all going to have to give and take here, aren’t we? If we’re going to get to a solution, we’re all going to have to listen to each other.”
A personal commitment
Burnham closed by saying he would not be deflected by political attacks or “screaming headlines”. He framed social care reform as both a political test and a personal commitment, rooted in his family’s experience and in the lives of millions of others.
“I would never forgive myself if I left without having tried.”
“Why am I going to do all of those things? For my dad and the millions like him up and down the country.”
News articles:
The Guardian Social Care Opinion Piece: Battles loom over social care, but this fight must be won. At last, we have a PM who believes that. By Polly Toynbee
The Guardian Politics Sketch: Andy Burnham wants to fix social care. It’s personal for him and for a lot of us too by John Crace
The Times Politics Sketch: Social care reform? Never works. But it might for Andy Burnham! The prime minister spoke without notes to strike a sincere note but the speech brought to mind a line from the US sitcom Arrested Development by Tom Peck
2. The launch of “The Big Conversation on Care”
Note: I am not affiliated with the commission or any political party.
I signed up to receive the Independent Commission’s newsletter. Immediately after the announcement, I received a short update about the website:
Click here to go to the Website. You’ll see this on the screen:
Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock, Chair of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, introduces The Big Conversation on Care.
The Big Conversation on Care is a chance for everyone in England to have their say on the future of adult social care.
To share your view:
Click on “Take part online”.
Then click “Submit My Proposal” to go to an edit window.
There you can add your proposal and thoughts.
There’s a word limit and you can’t edit afterwards
And submit your answer.
You’ll need to confirm your email address.
Once your email address is confirmed, you’ll have an account and be able to vote on proposals
This is open for 53 days (from July 29th)
Remember this is an opportunity for anyone to share their views of What does care mean? Who should get it? What should you do as a family? How much could you do for yourself, and how do we get this right?”
In addition the FAQs state that the independent partners of The Big Conversation
“Our independent partners will work with trusted community groups, charities and care organisations to reach these people and others who may find it harder to take part. This could include smaller group discussions, one-to-one conversations or more informal ways of sharing views.”
Add your comments now; real experiences need to be amplified instead of theory or inexperienced opinions!
You’ll be asked one question to start with:
“When we are old or disabled, or have a serious illness, who should support us and how?”
From there, you can share your own ideas, read what other people have said, and say whether you agree or disagree with their ideas.
As more people take part, we will be able to see which ideas and concerns matter most to people, where people agree and where they have different views.
What we hear online will help inform the next stages of the Big Conversation on Care. - From the FAQs
3. July 2026 Newsletter: The Big Conversation on Care is now live Published 31 July 2026
4. Having seen this podcast episode, I have hope….but we all need to share our thoughts in “The Big Conversation”
Andy Burnham on Social Care - Do I Sound Like I Care? Podcast (July 1 2024)
“In this moving and revealing episode of 'Do I Sound Like I Care? podcast, host Louise Lynch welcomes Andy Burnham to discuss the multifaceted challenges of being a carer. The conversation explores Burnham’s personal experiences with caring for his father, who has Alzheimer’s, and the impacts of the 15-minute domiciliary care visit culture.
Burnham reflects on his professional insights gained as the former Health Secretary and his advocacy for a National Care Service. The discussion delves into the emotional and logistical complexities of caring for a family member and the inadequacies of the current social care system. Burnham calls for political courage and systemic reform to better support carers in the UK”. - Louise Lynch
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction and Initial Nerves
00:08 Welcome to the Podcast
00:52 Who is Andy Burnham?
01:29 The Importance of Social Care
03:12 Personal Family Experiences with Dementia
05:06 Challenges of the Care System
12:46 The Role of Family in Caregiving
21:24 A Call for Help
22:22 The Reality of Care Homes
24:44 Political Perspectives on Care
26:58 The Stigma of Being a Carer
30:12 Proposals for a National Care Service
37:13 Personal Reflections and Family Dynamics
39:04 Concluding Thoughts on Care
Please share this information so that more people add their views into “The Big Conversation” and real, experienced based facts are shared
Thank you so much for this, Victoria - what a fantastic resource you have made on this page. So far I haven't been able to watch AB's whole speech or try to engage in the discussion, as I can find it quite triggering. But I will do so.