Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the supply of providers of publicly-funded adult social care is included as an issue on the Department of Health risk register, and if so, how seriously this issue is rated.

The Department does not release details of risk registers that support policy making and delivery.

We monitor the capacity of the social care system and are aware of pressures, but have not seen a significant decline in the supply of care providers.

The Care Act (2014) placed duties on local authorities making them responsible for ensuring there is an effective pool of quality providers of social care in their area with capacity to meet the needs of their local population. The Department is supporting local authorities to influence their local market through improved market facilitation and commissioning to ensure that local markets are effective.

The Department has worked with Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, Local Government Association, the care sector and other partners to produce a wide range of guidance and support about market shaping and commissioning. This is available in an online hub called Adult Social Care Market Shaping, which is an online only resource.

The Department continues to monitor capacity and effectiveness of the market.