Now the conference season has come to an end, Sam Monaghan, chief executive of Methodist Homes MHA reflects on the conversations taking place around social care, across the political spectrum

Conference season is always an opportunity to gauge the extent to which social care is being prioritised by the leading political parties. It was particularly relevant this year as the UK edges closer towards a general election. MHA attended the conferences of all three major parties – both hosting our own fringe events and collaborating with our partners. To me, it’s crucial that we’re present as it gives us a platform to voice our concerns about the future of social care and to understand where it sits on the political agenda.

Overall, I think it’s fair to say there was a sliding scale in terms of how much social care was being prioritised by parties this year.

The Conservative Party conference in Manchester, for example, was relatively light on content and detail around the sector, although it is clear they have a grasp on the issues we face, particularly our workforce challenges. In our conversations with ministers there was encouraging support for our concept of a Social Care Council, which we are proposing as part of our ‘Fix Care For All’ campaign.

Our recommendation is that the Social Care Council would act as an independent body representing the 1.5 million people working in social care. As well as examining pay scales, accreditation and training, the council would also manage sector-wide recruitment drives and public perceptions around a career in care.

Echoes of the Social Care Council could be heard in discussions around the idea of a National Care Service (NCS) at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. There seemed to be more of a buzz around the issues facing social care in general and people seemed energised about the idea of the NCS.

First raised by the Fabian Society, an NCS would tackle issues around pay and professionalisation, but it became clear during the conference that it means different things to different people. Without more clarity of messaging, it’s hard to form an opinion on whether it’s exactly what the sector needs.

At the other end of the spectrum, social care appears to be a huge priority for the Liberal Democrats, and they have already pledged their backing to the concept of a Social Care Council. The Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, has put social care front and centre as part of his offering to voters – recognising that it is one of the biggest challenges facing the country today.

The enthusiasm the party has shown, particularly around the social care workforce, is encouraging – and who knows what influence it may have, both on the doorstep and at the ballot box, when the time comes.

Cautiously optimistic

I’m cautiously optimistic about what I’ve heard over the past couple of weeks, but we need to see more consistency on the ideas being presented – and until we can read the pledges, written in black and white in manifestos, we don’t know what it will really mean for the sector and its workforce post-election.

In the meantime, we must continue to work together as a sector to ensure we are heard. In the same way that we need clarity from politicians, they also want clear messages from us. Seeing so many social care organisations come together at fringe events, to highlight the issues we face, was particularly encouraging across this year’s conferences. Our collective voice is hugely powerful.

I also believe that not-for-profits in the sector can add real value to the conversations taking place within parties as they look to shape their social care policies. With more people relying on social care in later life and fewer people entering the profession, we are on the front line of workforce challenges and are happy to share our experiences. At MHA, we are committed to working with any party prepared to commit fully to protecting and investing in the sector and the people who work in it.