A campaign by a group of charities to raise awareness of the need for new approaches to social care has been welcomed as a step in the right direction by local government leaders. ‘Right care Right deal’, has been launched under the Carers UK umbrella to support calls for what the charities call ‘brave and innovative solutions for the social care system.

The campaign has been launched ahead of the anticipated Green paper on social care, which the Government has said is a policy priority. It calls for a system that will enable people to assess their own needs and choose the right support and one that is better funded.

David Rogers, Chair of the Community Wellbeing Board at the Local Government Association said the charities’ research confirmed that there was a lack of understanding about the social care system in England and at the same time there were high expectations of the help people expected to receive from their families and from the state.

“All organisations involved in the provision of social care have a responsibility to ensure people receive the best possible services at the right time and in the right place. This new campaign is a step in the right direction towards narrowing the gap between the type of care people expect when they reach old age and the reality of what they will receive,” he added.

Councillor Rogers said the report also echoed recent calls from local councils for a fairer, more sustainable system of care for all in the light of the pressures arising from the increasing age of the population, the increased costs of care and the fact that central government grants had failed to keep pace with demographic change.