Government Transparency Campaign: Latest update
January 2025
Early announcements in 2025 have brought Social Care back on the agenda with the news that Baroness Louise Casey will lead an independent commission on social care which will "make recommendations of how to rebuild the social care system to meet the current and future needs of the population".
Meanwhile, Access Social Care's legal cases on government transparency around how Government have determined sufficiency of funding to meet the social care needs of the population, and the equality impacts of social care funding decisions are ongoing. The open letter to PM Keir Starmer signed by over 60 social care organisations has remained unanswered.
But we will not be deterred.
Can you help us connect with Baroness Louise Casey?
We strongly believe that the Commission into adult social care needs to be aware of this case and as an absolute minimum the Government Departments should be disclosing the information to Louise Casey to consider. Do you have any recommendations for how we might get this issue closer to the top of the pile of urgent matters to consider? Any suggestions gratefully received! Please email kari.gerstheimer@accesscharity.org.uk.
The legal team at ASC have provided a case update below.
Legal update 22nd January 2024
As we reported, the judge in our first case ordered the government to disclose Spending Review equalities information as we originally requested. However, the government applied for permission to appeal that decision. We are waiting for the outcome of that application.
In the meantime, here’s a quick update on the second set of legal cases, which concern requests for information about the governments’ assessment of funding sufficiency process. The Information Commissioner ordered disclosure of the information we requested but the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have appealed. We are expecting a third case involving His Majesty’s Treasury imminently.
The first two of this second set of cases are being combined and will be heard together moving forward. Some upcoming hearings have been rescheduled, and additional submissions from the parties on the procedure going forward are due by the end of January.
We’ll continue to monitor the situation, and more updates will follow as the case progresses.
Campaigns update
We are planning our next campaign action. Stay tuned for further information!