Labour’s shadow social care minister Andrew Gwynne, the MP for Denton and Reddish, met last week with David Meanwell, owner of Right at Home Stockport, to discuss the challenges facing social care providers and the improvements they’d like to see going forward.

They were joined by Lucy Campbell, chief executive of Right at Home UK, who said she was “encouraged” by Gwynne’s proposals for the sector.

During the meeting, Meanwell outlined the barriers to recruiting and retaining home care professionals. He explained that many care workers who drive every day to deliver care and support in the community, are leaving the sector due to soaring car insurance premiums, which also prevent new talent from starting a career in home care.

He said recruitment and retention challenges have been further compounded by local colleges being “unwilling” to place health and social care students in home care settings, an issue he believes Gwynne could help resolve.

Meanwell commented: “Andrew was aware of the recruitment challenges that we face in this sector. Whilst recruiting care workers from overseas can help to fulfil some capacity challenges, the opportunity to develop and train students is the most obvious route to drive improvement in the long term. With Andrew’s connections I think this will be our best opportunity to see change on a local scale.”

Gwynne outlined Labour’s 10-year vision for a reformed social care sector during his visit, including a plan to increase pay for care professionals, reallocate funds into community care and create a National Care Service.

Gwynne said: “It was a pleasure to visit the Right at Home team and learn more about the fantastic home care services they provide. Having a greater focus on care in the community is a central pillar of one of Labour’s guiding missions, to build a health and care system fit for the future.

“As we work towards the development of a National Care Service, I look forward to working with firms like Right at Home to develop long-term solutions to the challenges facing the sector, ensuring everyone can access care when they need it, and where they need it.”

Meanwell said that the “best hope” for the future of social care would be a “change in administration” and a “different view” on how healthcare services would be organised and managed, adding: “I’m not sure a National Care Service is the best answer, but a reallocation of funds into the community would be a great start.”

Campbell added: “It was extremely encouraging to hear MP Andrew Gwynne recognising the importance of the role social care providers play in the integrated health care agenda. He also understood the benefits of working in partnership with care providers, with lived experience of the sector, to help shape the policies that will aid the necessary transformation.”