The Care Workers’ Charity looks forward to working with the next Labour leader and Prime Minister, and urges them to act now on social care reform.
London, 22nd June 2026
The Care Workers’ Charity thanks Sir Keir Starmer for his service as Prime Minister and for the commitments his government made to adult social care. Under his leadership, Labour set out the framework for the first Fair Pay Agreement, committed £500 million to support it, and continued the work on Delegated Healthcare Activities. These were important steps, and they gave the sector a foundation to build on. As the leadership contest begins, the charity looks forward to working with whoever is elected leader of the party and Prime Minister to carry that work forward.
Adult social care is not a sectoral concern. It is something every person in this country will rely on at some point in their lives, whether for themselves, for a parent, for a partner or for a child. Whoever takes on the role inherits work that is far from finished, and the charity stands ready to support the successful candidate in carrying it forward.
Labour came into government with significant commitments on adult social care, including the framework for the first Fair Pay Agreement, the £500 million committed to support it, and continued engagement on Delegated Healthcare Activities. These were always intended as a starting point. The Fair Pay Agreement can be the foundation for a unified sector that delivers better conditions for the workforce and better quality of care for the people who draw on it, but it must be matched by legislation and sustained government support, and it must move from framework to delivery. The agreement is not due to come into effect until 2028, and care workers cannot wait three more years.
There is more work to be done, and the case for change is already made. The charity urges the next leader to act on the recommendations emerging from Baroness Casey’s Commission rather than wait for it to conclude. As Baroness Casey has said, reform should not be held back until the Commission reports. The evidence is already there. The charity’s 2025 Wellbeing Survey, drawing on responses from more than 2,000 care workers, found that 72% do not feel financially secure and nearly 29% have used a food bank in the past year. These are the lived realities of the people delivering care every day.
Care workers are skilled professionals and active agents of reform. Those delivering care understand what a better system looks like, because they navigate its gaps every single day. Their expertise must not only inform the next leader’s decisions on social care, it must shape them. The charity invites the successful candidate to bring forward the Fair Pay Agreement and the wider programme of reform with the pace, funding and political consistency the sector needs.
Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive of The Care Workers’ Charity, said:
“We are looking forward to working with the next Prime Minister upon their appointment. Care workers have heard ambition before, and they have welcomed it. What they need now is delivery, and the political consistency to see it through. The Fair Pay Agreement, the funding behind it and the work on Delegated Healthcare Activities are the foundations to build on, not the finish line. We ask the next leader to act on the recommendations coming out of Baroness Casey’s Commission now, not in 2028, and to bring the Fair Pay Agreement forward so that care workers feel the difference. We invite the successful candidate to meet us and to hear directly from care workers through our Advisory Board, so that the reform that comes next is built with them, not around them.”
What needs to change
The Care Workers’ Charity is calling on the next leader to:
- Name adult social care as a first order national priority, with implementation set out within the first 100 days of taking office.
- Act on the recommendations emerging from Baroness Casey’s Commission, in parallel with and not dependent on its final report.
- Bring the Fair Pay Agreement forward, backed by the legislation and sustained funding needed to deliver a unified sector, with interim support for pay and conditions ahead of 2028.
- Co-produce reform with care workers themselves, including through bodies such as the Care Worker Advisory Board.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Interviews available:
- Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive of The Care Workers’ Charity, available for TV, radio and print interviews. Karolina is a former care worker, regularly briefs MPs and government on social care workforce policy, and has been quoted in national media including BBC News, the Guardian and the Times.
- Care workers with lived experience. CWC can connect journalists with care workers willing to speak on the record about pay, working conditions, and reliance on the charity’s hardship grants. Case studies available on request.
About The Care Workers’ Charity (CWC)
The Care Workers’ Charity is the only UK charity dedicated to supporting paid care workers across the social care sector. We have provided over £6.8 million in crisis grants to over 13,900 care workers since 2020. We offer mental wellbeing support to care workers, ensuring they receive assistance during challenging times. The CWC provides accredited Mental Health First Aid training to care workers and other staff and advocates for policy changes to improve lives and working conditions in the UK. We participate in government roundtables, academic forums, and policy discussions, sharing insights from our grant applicants’ experiences. To learn more about our mission and initiatives, visit www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk.
Registered charity no. 1207208. Registered office: Rushworth Studios, 2 Rushworth Street, London, SE1 0RB. www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk
Broadcast-ready clips, b-roll, photography and care worker case studies available on request.
Media contact: Shanna Wells | shanna@thecwc.org.uk | 07930 992443