Prime Minister Promises Reform to Adult Social Care, We Are Here To Help Deliver.
The Care Workers’ Charity welcomes the announcements made in the Prime Minister’s speech at the 2026 Labour Conference and stand ready to help the Government in making sure the Care Worker’s voice is represented in the government’s reform.
London, Date: 29th September 2026
The Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke today at the Labour Conference 2026. During this speech, the Prime Minister stated that care workers have been ‘holding a threadbare system somehow together and yet are invisible to the political class of this country’. The Prime Minister is correct about this – care reform has been at the back of the agenda for many years. For us at The Care Workers’ Charity, care workers have never been invisible, and we are glad to hear this recognition at the highest levels of Government. As we have done for many years, and will continue to do, ensuring the visibility of care workers is at the forefront of our mission. The Prime Minister apologised to care workers for delay in reform, however, this apology needs to be accompanied by change. The sector has relied on the goodwill of the workforce for too long and we look forward to seeing the Government implementing the changes promised.
The Care Workers’ Charity warmly welcomes the introduction of the National Care Service and the Government’s commitment to ensure that ‘care is about people, not profit’. It is essential that this consideration is given to those drawing on support and care, and care workers alike. As the Prime Minister outlined ‘we will all need to rely on (care) at some point in our lives’ and a National Care Service must be built with the voice of care workers at the centre. This is the only way that this can work and it is the strongest foundation for a National Care Service that it could have.
The Care Workers’ Charity continues to advocate for significant change for the care workforce – whether this is within a National Care Service or within the current system. Any care system requires fair pay, professionalisation and empathy for the care workforce at its very core.
As the Prime Minister stated – ‘I promise you I won’t leave this job without doing everything I can’ for Adult Social Care in the UK. The Care Workers’ Charity shares that ambition and stands ready to support a new and exciting direction for care in the UK.
Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive of The Care Workers’ Charity, said:
“The Prime Minister is right. Care workers have held this system together for years, often at real cost to themselves, and too rarely been seen for it. Hearing that said from the conference stage matters, and so does the commitment to a National Care Service built around people, not profit.
Care workers have heard ambition before, and they will judge this by what changes in their working lives. Our 2025 Wellbeing Survey found that 72% of care workers do not feel financially secure, and more than a third are considering leaving their roles. A National Care Service will only be as strong as the people delivering it, so fair pay, professional recognition and a genuine voice for care workers must be built in from day one, alongside the Fair Pay Agreement and the Care Workforce Pathway. We invite the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to meet care workers through our Advisory Board and Champions Project, and to build this with them, not for them.”
What needs to change
The Care Workers’ Charity is calling for:
- Name the workforce as a founding pillar of the National Care Service and co-produce the reform with care workers, through bodies such as The Care Worker Advisory Board and Champions Project.
- The Fair Pay Agreement to be fully funded in future years and for The Casey Commission to engage directly with care workers for their review.
- Bring forward interim measures to ensure care workers are supported now so they can stay in the sector tomorrow.
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 £7 million in crisis grants to over 14,000 care workers. We offer mental well-being support to care workers, ensuring they receive assistance during challenging times. 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