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| Care England | |
|---|---|
| Name | Care England |
| Type | Charity; Trade association |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Region served | England |
| Leader title | Chief Executive |
| Leader name | Professor Martin Green |
Care England Care England is a major membership organisation representing independent providers of adult social care in England. It acts as an advocacy body, policy commentator, membership network and research publisher interfacing with national institutions and regulatory bodies. The organisation routinely engages with healthcare commissioners, parliamentary committees, statutory agencies and sector funders.
Care England was established in 2016 following the merger and realignment of several sector bodies and provider federations that had emerged during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The organisation developed as part of a lineage that includes predecessor organisations such as the UK Homecare Association, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, National Care Forum, Care and Support Alliance and sector initiatives linked to the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Early years involved rapid engagement with policymakers including members of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee and briefing activity around legislation like the Care Act 2014. Care England’s leadership drew on executives and board members with prior roles in bodies such as Age UK, Carers UK, NHS Confederation, Skills for Care and local authority commissioning teams across regions including Greater London, West Midlands, Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
The governance structure of the association is typical of national membership organisations, with a board of trustees, executive leadership and regional fora. Senior executives have previously held posts in the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, Public Health England and charity networks such as Marie Curie and British Red Cross. The executive team works alongside specialist advisers in regulation, workforce and finance drawn from institutions including the Care Quality Commission, Charity Commission for England and Wales, Institute for Public Policy Research and university research centres like London School of Economics, King's College London and University College London. Regional representation aligns with integrated care systems and local government entities including county councils in Cumbria, Kent and Cornwall. Governance practice references company law and charity law frameworks overseen by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Membership comprises independent residential, nursing, domiciliary and supported-living providers, including national chains and smaller independent operators. Member organisations often feature in regulatory datasets alongside providers inspected by the Care Quality Commission and listed in procurement portals used by clinical commissioning groups and Integrated Care Systems such as NHS North West London. Services for members include policy briefings, legal advice, workforce development guidance, procurement support and representation at tribunals and parliamentary inquiries. The association provides training signposting with partners such as Skills for Care, quality frameworks used by Quality Innovation Networks, and workforce planning tools that reference data from the Office for National Statistics, NHS Digital and sector surveys conducted with think tanks like Resolution Foundation and Nuffield Trust.
Advocacy work targets ministers, shadow cabinet members and select committees in the House of Commons and House of Lords, including contributions to debates on adult social care funding, workforce visas, and regulation. The organisation submits evidence to inquiries led by the Public Accounts Committee, the Health and Social Care Select Committee and participates in consultations driven by the Department of Health and Social Care. Policy positions have been advanced in collaboration with organisations such as Age UK, Alzheimer's Society, Independent Age and labour market bodies like British Medical Association and UNISON. Campaigning has engaged treasury officials at the HM Treasury and Commissioners at the Equality and Human Rights Commission on matters such as commissioning practices, sustainability of provider fees, and implementation of recommendations from the Dilnot Commission and other reform reports.
The organisation publishes briefings, position papers, white papers and sector surveys often cited by media outlets like BBC News, The Guardian, Financial Times and specialist titles such as Community Care. Research outputs draw on data from the Care Quality Commission, NHS Digital, the Office for National Statistics and academic partners at institutions including University of Manchester, University of Oxford and University of Birmingham. Publications address topics such as workforce shortages, fee rates, regulatory change, infection control and integration with health services; these have informed parliamentary debates and reports by bodies including the National Audit Office and King's Fund.
The association works with a wide network of organisations including regulator and statutory bodies like the Care Quality Commission and NHS England, charity partners such as Age UK and Alzheimer's Society, and workforce bodies including Skills for Care and trade unions like UNISON and GMB. Collaborative projects have included pilots with integrated care boards, joint guidance with the Local Government Association, and sector resilience initiatives supported by the Cabinet Office during national emergencies including the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The organisation also engages with international partners and comparative research networks housed at universities including London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and policy forums like the Health Foundation.
The organisation and its members have been subject to controversy typical of large provider sectors, including disputes over care home closures, fee levels and staff pay that have drawn scrutiny from campaign groups such as Campaign for Better Care and media investigations by outlets like BBC Panorama. Criticism has also arisen around engagement with commissioners in controversies recorded in local government audit reports and inquiries by the National Audit Office and select committees. Debates concerning provider consolidation, transparency in procurement, and regulatory compliance have featured in parliamentary questions and legal challenges involving local authorities and regional health bodies such as NHS Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Group predecessors.
Category:Social care in England