All posts tagged: Care

Can social care ever really be fixed? Experts react to the latest in a long line of promises

Published by Sam Flores

The Big Conversation on Care is the latest attempt to fix England’s broken social care system. Getting a handle on this issue has been attempted no fewer than 22 times since the 1990s – but Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed that this time they’ll find the right answers. But what might these be – and will the tough choices on how to pay for it lose Labour votes? More pay, more prestige for care workers Anna Barford, Research Professor, Language Technology Lab Care is a broad concept covering things like cooking, cleaning, childcare, teaching and healthcare. These labour-intensive activities are essential to enable individuals, communities and societies to survive in the face of challenges such as poverty, economic shocks and climate change. As such, spending on care should be seen as an investment rather than a cost. Care needs are met by a diverse set of people, including the family or household, volunteers, not-for-profit organisations, businesses, and the state. Some of this work is paid (often underpaid), while some is unpaid. And it falls …

Politics Home Article | Social Care In England As Unfair As US Healthcare, Says Burnham

Published by Sam Flores

Andy Burnham set out a roadmap to reforming social care (Alamy) 4 min read1 hr The Prime Minister has said that social care in England is “as unfair as American health care” as he pledged to do what successive governments have failed to do and reform the system. Speaking at a care home in London on Wednesday morning, Andy Burnham said he was willing to take a hit to his own popularity to bring forward changes. “I know this will require me to put what political capital I have on the table. And it might wear down that political capital in some ways,” he said. He added that any reform to social care will “require difficult decisions” and the Labour government would be “honest with people about those”. “We will put them before the country at the right time, and we will hopefully proceed with people’s consent,” he said. He added that social care is intrinsically linked to pressures facing the NHS and cannot be treated like it “lives in its own silo”. “There is no way we …

Burnham Unveils 3-Point Plan To Improve Social Care After 'Shameful' Neglect Of Sector

Published by Sam Flores

Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks to residents, care workers, volunteers and social care stakeholders during a care home visit in London, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Andy Burnham has unveiled a three-point plan to improve the social care sector after years of neglect”in a major speech. The prime minister promised to use any political capital he has to implement reforms and set up a system comparable to the NHS. He said the inability to fix the sector has been a “major dereliction of public duty” from past governments. Burnham also pointed to his own failures to set up a National Care Service as health secretary in 2010 under Gordon Brown. “I would never forgive myself if I left [power] without having tried [to fix it],” the prime minister said. He added that it was “shameful” there had been no major changes to the system despite 22 reviews into fixing the sector over the last 27 years. Burnham also claimed the UK social care system is “as unfair as American healthcare”. His three-point plan includes asking Baroness Louise Casey …

Burnham Unveils 3-Point Plan To Improve Social Care After 'Shameful' Neglect Of Sector

Published by Sam Flores

Nigel Farage Fumes Over Being Left Out Of Andy Burnham’s Cross-Party Social Care Talks

Published by Sam Flores

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage launches a Save the Pub campaign in London, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. via Associated Press Nigel Farage has furiously hit out at Andy Burnham after the prime minister did not invite the Reform leader to cross-party talks on fixing social care. The PM asked Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey to help him “problem-solve” the crisis later today. He did not extend the invitation to Reform, the Green Party or the SNP. Farage – who is not a sitting MP right now having triggered a by-election in his own Clacton constituency – claimed the PM was “conspiring” with the main parties. He said: “If Andy Burnham is serious about putting politics aside to solve Britain’s biggest problems, it’s remarkable that he’s chosen to ignore Reform. “He is conspiring behind closed doors with the failed political establishment to foist further tax rises on the country. “The fact Ed Davey and Kemi Badenoch are going along with this tells you all you need to know. This is the uniparty in action.” …

Mike Leigh says he’ll likely retire after new film Tender Loving Care due to illness

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter After writing and directing 16 films since his debut in 1971, Mike Leigh, 83, has revealed that his next film is “likely” to be his last one due to health issues. The three-time Bafta-winning filmmaker behind classic kitchen sink dramas said that making another film after his next one on the docket – Tender Loving Care – is “not going to be possible” or would be “very difficult”. Leigh, whose films include Secrets & Lies and Vera Drake, has myositis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes chronic muscle inflammation. Mike Leigh is likely going to retire once new film is released (Getty) It’s affected his mobility so much that he thinks he’ll be unlikely to make another film. During an interview for his forthcoming new film Tender Loving Care, starring his partner Marion Bailey and Widow’s Bay star Kate O’Flynn, Leigh …

Andy Burnham Invites Main Opposition Parties To Help Labour 'Problem-Solve' Social Care Crisis

Published by Sam Flores

Ed Davey, Andy Burnham, Kemi Badenoch Andy Burnham has invited the main opposition parties to help him address the growing crisis with the UK’s social care sector. It comes after the prime minister pledged to find common ground across the political spectrum during his campaign to be Labour leader. He has also promised to use all of his political capital on the declining social care system since getting the keys to No.10 on July 20. While visiting a care home on Wednesday, the prime minister will say he is hoping to draw a line under decades of decline and a refusal to tackle these problems head on. Burnham has invited the leaders of the two main opposition parties, the Tories’ Kemi Badenoch and Lib Dems’ Ed Davey, to meet him tomorrow to overhaul the sector. Badenoch, the official leader of the opposition, told the PM on Sunday not to raise taxes to fund social care reform and to be fair to those who have “made provisions and saved up over the course of their lives”. …

Houseplant hacks: do plant care kits actually work? | Houseplants

Published by Sam Flores

The problemPlant care has had a glow-up. There is now an entire regime that’s been lifted straight from the bathroom cabinet: cleanse, hydrate, serum, tone. These beautifully boxed kits promise lush plants, make lovely gifts and look wonderful on a shelf, but the question is: does your monstera actually need a four-step routine? The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. The hackThe promise is that plants, like skin, thrive on a structured routine, and that investing in a multi-product care kit will reward you with glowing foliage. The methodWork through the routine. Depending on the kit, this might mean cleansing the leaves, adding feed to the water, then toning and shining the foliage with a spray, serum or oil. Repeat every week. The testI worked through each step in turn. The cleanse is genuinely worthwhile, as dust-free leaves absorb light far better, though a damp cloth does the same job. The hydrating and feeding steps were no different from what I already do. …

Politics Home Article | Why Is Social Care Such A Thorny Issue For UK Prime Ministers?

Published by Sam Flores

Andy Burnham said he wants to bring in “substantial change” to reform social care (Alamy) 7 min read6 hr With Andy Burnham expected to make a major speech on social care this week, PoliticsHome looks at why it has been such a difficult issue for successive governments to grip. The Prime Minister told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday that he will put “whatever political capital” he has into fixing social care and doesn’t want to leave office without bringing in “substantial change.” He said the NHS will “collapse” without social care reform. Successive governments have pledged to fix the social care crisis, but have failed. So why is it such a difficult problem to solve? Why is social care such a big problem? The term social care describes support for adults with care and support needs. In England, it is arranged by local authorities, and some people receive state support to help pay for it. Pressure has been building on the UK adult social care system for decades. The UK’s population is ageing steadily, with …

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All posts tagged: Care

Mike Leigh says he’ll likely retire after new film Tender Loving Care due to illness

Houseplant hacks: do plant care kits actually work? | Houseplants