The government has published its plan10-Year Plan which outlines a major transformation of the NHS, built around three core aims: moving care out of hospitals and into communities; replacing outdated systems with digital tools; and focusing on prevention rather than late intervention.

Central to the plan is the creation of Neighbourhood Health Services – integrated teams delivering everything from diagnostics to rehabilitation, mental health to lifestyle support, in local centres and on people’s doorsteps. Yet despite references to social care workers, the plan falls short of detailing how social care providers – the backbone of community support – will be empowered and resourced to lead this transformation.

Care England, the representative body for independent adult social care providers, has welcomed the ambitions of the plan – but warns that without clarity on how adult social care is integrated into delivery, the plan risks being built on fragile foundations.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said:“This is a plan that talks our language – prevention, personalisation, community-based care. But we’ve heard similar before, and the challenge has always been implementation. The NHS cannot deliver this vision alone. If adult social care is not put at the centre of delivery – not just as a partner, but as a leader – this plan will falter.”

Care England emphasised that adult social care already provides much of the kind of support envisioned in the plan: long-term care for people with complex needs, step-down and reablement services, holistic community engagement, and workforce models rooted in local neighbourhoods.

Green added: “The plan speaks to a future we’ve already been building. But vision alone isn’t enough. Providers need clarity, investment, and status. Without a clear role for adult social care, this plan will leave a gap between policy and reality.”

The plan sets an ambitious target: by 2027, 95% of people with complex needs should have a co-produced personalised care plan – a major jump from the current 20%. Care England warns that without meaningful involvement of care providers – who know these individuals best – such targets will remain out of reach.

The timeline of the NHS plan also aligns with the forthcoming Casey Commission, expected to report next year.

Care England stresses that these two agendas – health reform and care reform – must move forward together.

Green said: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape care and health around people’s needs, not system convenience. But we need to see investment in social care infrastructure, digital inclusion, and workforce strategy. The Government must now give as much attention to social care reform as it has to NHS reform – or neither will succeed.

“Neighbourhood Health Services could transform how people experience care. But without social care at the centre, they risk becoming a brilliant idea lost in translation. If we’re serious about delivering care closer to home, we must start by backing the sector already delivering it.”

Dr Jane Townson, chief executive of the Homecare Association, said: “Every day, homecare workers support older people, disabled people and those with long-term health conditions to live with dignity and independence in their own homes. We’re proud to play a vital role already in keeping people well, connected, and out of hospital.

“People receiving homecare need continuity, trusted relationships, and a team around them who have the time and understanding to support their health and wellbeing.

“Neighbourhood teams offer a huge opportunity to deliver truly joined-up care, but only if the government fixes how councils and the NHS commission and purchase homecare. Right now, services are too often fragile, fragmented and underfunded.

“There is growing focus on care workers taking on delegated tasks and many already support people with medication, wound care, stomas and more. NHS commissioners often fail to recognise the real costs, training needs, and risks involved. Without clear policy and proper funding, this simply isn’t safe or feasible on the ground.

“We’ve seen very little real investment in social care and minimal government focus beyond pay reform. 

“If ministers want this plan to succeed, they must back homecare as a core part of the NHS future, not a forgotten add-on.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape health and care for the better.

“It’s now or never for the NHS and for a government with everything to gain or lose by getting this right. Ministers must not overlook the power of homecare to transform lives, support families, and relieve pressure on hospitals. We are ready to deliver, but we need them to act.”