The government has announced plans to reorganize home care services by centering them around local neighborhoods. This new system will allow councils to commission care services in smaller geographic areas, with one or two primary providers assigned to each neighborhood. The goal is to enable care recipients to interact with familiar carers more often, supporting stronger relationships and enabling earlier detection of health or wellbeing changes.
Care workers will benefit from reduced travel time, as their daily routes will now focus on a single area. According to research by the Health Innovation Network South West, reorganizing visits into defined zones could potentially deliver the same care with 35 per cent less staff time and 65 per cent less driving. This efficiency would allow for better resource allocation without compromising care quality.
The initiative supports the broader push for a National Care Service, which aims to relieve pressure on the NHS by enabling more people to receive care at home. Minister of State for Social Care and Mental Health Alison McGovern stated that neighborhood-based commissioning would make care more proactive and preventative, helping to reduce hospital admissions. She said, “We have a growing, ageing population and an NHS facing significant pressures. We are turning it around, but our NHS is at risk of being overburdened. Our National Care Service is the answer, and neighbourhood commissioning is a step towards this.”
Industry representatives have expressed support for the changes, though they emphasize the need for fair payment structures and stable employment conditions. The Homecare Association highlighted that neighborhood commissioning could only succeed if fees covered full care rounds, not just direct contact time, and if workers received reliable schedules. Dr. Jane Townson OBE, the association’s CEO, welcomed the move, stating, “We welcome the move to neighbourhood commissioning, which reflects what the Homecare Association has long argued: commissioning is the key to quality, fair work and better outcomes.”
The government will release guidance and toolkits in the spring to assist local authorities in adopting the model. Collaboration with councils and the NHS will ensure the changes align with the overarching objective of integrating social care and healthcare services.