From burden to belonging: A new vision for social care

Dr Clenton Farquharson, Associate Director of Think Local Act Personal, has welcomed comments from Baroness Casey, Chair of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care.

A ‘moment of reckoning’ for social care

Speaking at the Nuffield Trust Summit on 5 March (watch the speech below), Baroness Casey gave an update on the work of the Independent Commission. In her speech, she described the current situation as a “moment of reckoning” for social care and called for a system that is more human, focused on relationships, and centred on what matters most to people.

Responding to the speech, Farquharson said her remarks highlighted the urgency of transforming social care in the UK. He added that the national conversation needs to shift away from treating social care as a burden and instead recognise it as a normal and essential part of everyday life.

Reframing the narrative around care

Farquharson notes that the language traditionally used in social care often focuses on pressures, costs, and systems, stripping away its human core too frequently.

Instead, he calls for a more positive reframing: social care as dignity in action, a source of independence, and a foundation for a more inclusive society.

The power of relationships

Central to Farquharson’s reflections is the importance of relationships. He stresses that care “is about people… about relationships… about the right to live an ordinary life.”

He argues that these relational foundations hold families, communities, and society together. Recognising their value is essential not only for people who draw on care and support, but also for the care workers and unpaid carers whose contributions are too often overlooked.

Personalisation and lived experience

Drawing on his own lived experience as both someone who uses care and as a carer, Farquharson highlights the importance of personalisation.

Person-centred support enables people to live, not merely survive. Support that honours personal choice, independence, and humanity speaks directly to what matters most in people’s lives.

Avoiding a “more careless society”

Farquharson also warns of the broader risk of becoming a “more careless society” if care is pushed to the margins.

When care workers are undervalued, care itself becomes undervalued. When unpaid carers are taken for granted, acts of love and sacrifice are rendered invisible.

A chance to decide what matters

Ultimately, Farquharson describes Baroness Casey’s intervention as a pivotal opportunity for the country to decide “who matters” and “what matters” as a nation.

For him, the challenge is not simply about reforming services, but about reaffirming core values - connection, dignity, justice, and shared humanity. He calls on the sector to champion social care not as an afterthought, but as a vital part of a decent and compassionate society.

Echoing Casey’s call, Farquharson reinforces a message at the heart of personalisation: lasting change happens when people are seen, heard, valued, and supported in ways that reflect their own lives and relationships.

Our shared vision for person-centred care

The themes raised in Baroness Casey’s speech, and highlighted by Dr Farquharson, mirror the ambitions of the It’s All About People Personalisation Programme and Our Shared Agreement across Lincolnshire.

Both ‘movements’ are built on the belief that health and care should start with people’s lives, strengths, and aspirations, not simply their conditions or needs.

Through the Five Foundations, Our Shared Agreement promotes a more human, relationship-centred approach to care. These principles, co-produced by people who use services alongside health and care professionals, aim to build a new partnership between communities and the Lincolnshire system, placing personalisation, shared decision-making, and community connection at the heart of support.

Taken together, Baroness Casey’s call for a more humane social care system and the work of the It’s All About People andn Our Shared Agreement movements point in the same direction: a future where care is shaped by relationships, collaboration, and “what matters” conversations, enabling people to live the best lives possible within their communities.