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It is hard to get out of the system if you have been sectioned – it’s difficult to get the things like relationships, employment and education that are just a part of normal life for your peers. Social care levels the playing field. Mental health support can help people to the point that they can do things for themselves.
Isaac, someone with experience of adult social care Isaac, someone with experience of adult social care
Supporting recovery, promoting independence
In July 2026, Andy Burnham made a speech that reinvigorated the government’s interest in adult social care.
The government intends to set out plans for the reform of adult social care. This will be informed by Baroness Casey's current review of adult social care, which will lay the foundations for long-term reform and a National Care Service. This review will now report earlier than originally planned, with the Prime Minister requesting that Casey's initial recommendations be brought forward by one year to Summer 2027.
One in every £10 spent on social care goes toward mental health social care support. Any plan to reform mental healthsocial care cannot be considered comprehensive without it.
We pulled together a briefing for the government explaining the variety of services included in mental health social care and the basics on what impact it has on people.
Managing the nation’s mental health
“A mental health social care support package for someone living with mental illness should be personalised to each individual,” said Alex from our campaigns team in a 2021 blog.
“But it might include help with taking medication, keeping the house clean and tidy, managing personal finances, getting outside in the community, taking part in local activities, finding work.”
Alex goes on to discuss the challenges that social care helps remove for people living with a severe mental illness, the impact of Covid-19, and what we want the government to do to better support people living with mental illness
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Transforming community services
Change can also come at a local level. In our Local Authorities and the Community Mental Health Framework briefing, we asked regional authorities to think about the role they can play in improving and protecting social care services.
Download the briefing Download the briefing
