Expectations and Aspirations: Public attitudes towards social care
The future of social care has long been a topic of policy debate in the UK. Current social care arrangements are widely considered to be financially unsustainable, incoherent and unfair. However, despite the strong consensus for the need for change, policy on social care has stagnated.
In advance of the UK Government Green Paper on social care, we commissioned this independent survey to explore public levels of awareness and understanding of social care provision. This research is part of our wider work with the Institute of Public Policy Research (ippr) about the future of social care.
Key themes emerging from the research:
- Low awareness and uncertainty: confusion about the nature of social care services
- Misconceptions about social care funding
- Lack of preparation and planning for care needs
- Reluctance towards greater family responsibility for funding and providing care
- Support for a more collective, universal system
- A strong desire for more information and debate on the future of social care
