Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that deaf people can receive appropriate care at home.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their populations, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all people, including ensuring that deaf people receive appropriate care at home.

Additionally, the Government is taking steps to ensure that people, including deaf people, can receive high-quality, personalised care at home. This is part of the Government’s wider improvements to adult social care as we progress towards a National Care Service. These steps include:

- investing £12 million in workforce training through the Learning and Development Support Scheme, helping care workers to develop the skills needed to support people with sensory disabilities, including deaf individuals;

- rolling out the Care Workforce Pathway, which sets out the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to deliver high-quality care across eight role categories, including personal assistants and enhanced care workers;

- supporting unpaid carers, who play a vital role in home-based care – from March 2026, millions of unpaid carers will be able to manage care plans, appointments and prescriptions via the NHS App;

- raising the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit to £196 per week and reviewing the case for paid carer’s leave;

- expanding care options to support independent living, with an additional £172 million for the Disabled Facilities Grant over two years, enabling around 15,600 extra home adaptations; and

- introducing care technology standards to help people choose the right support at home.