FICCH research takes centre stage at care policy symposium

Public Policy Exchange event brings together leading figures from the sector to discuss the growing crisis in care homes

A major symposium designed to formulate strategies for improving the UK’s care provision featured two members of the FICCH team, alongside other academic, industry and think tank representatives.

The event was chaired by FICCH’s Dr Derya Ozdemir Kaya (University of Sussex), and also featured her FICCH colleague Dr Amy Horton (UCL). Other speakers included Nadra Ahmed CBE, Chairman of the National Care Association, and Sir Andrew Dilnot, who chaired the Commission on the Funding of Care and Support.

In her presentation, Dr Horton drew on FICCH findings to underscore the significance of ownership in the care sector – explaining that the high-cost financing models typical of many large, for-profit care chains contribute to pressure on labour costs and employment conditions, driving financial instability in care homes. She argued that future government policy should promote public or not-for-profit care models in order to retain funding within the sector, and ultimately improve financial sustainability and staffing levels.

You can read more about the symposium here.