June 2026 Newsletter: Parliamentary Evidence and Government Response
Welcome to the fourth edition of our monthly newsletter. This month has seen Baroness Casey giving evidence to Parliament and the Government’s formal response to the Commission’s early recommendations on adult safeguarding, dementia and motor neurone disease.
Baroness Casey gives evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee
On 24 June 2026, Baroness Casey and one of the Commission’s Deputy Directors, Sarah Coskeran, gave evidence to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee.
The Health and Social Care Committee is a cross-party Select Committee responsible for scrutinising the work of the Department of Health and Social Care and its associated public bodies. It examines government policy, spending and administration on behalf of Parliament and the public.
The session provided Committee Members with an opportunity to ask questions on the Commission’s progress ahead of publication of our first report later this year. Discussions covered:
What the Commission has done and learnt up till now
The Commission’s recommendations on dementia, motor neurone disease and adult safeguarding
What cross-party engagement has happened and other parliamentary activity
The Commission’s plans to engage the public on adult social care
The Commission’s future timetable and next steps
Following Baroness Casey’s evidence session, the Committee heard from Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State for Care, alongside senior officials from the Department of Health and Social Care.
This session focused on the Government’s current approach to adult social care reform, including its position on the potential creation of a National Care Service, progress made against the Commission’s recommendations, and the expected timetable for reform.
Government responds to Baroness Casey's initial recommendations
Earlier this year, Baroness Casey wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care before her speech at the Nuffield Trust Summit, setting out a number of immediate recommendations for action on dementia, motor neurone disease (MND) and adult safeguarding.
On 22 June 2026, The Rt Hon James Murray MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and the Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, wrote to Baroness Casey outlining the Government’s response and the progress made to date.
You can read the Governments letter to Baroness Casey in full here.
Visits
This month, Commission staff visited Whittington Health NHS Trust to learn more about its approach to integrated health and social care, including its discharge processes. The Commission also attended Mencap’s Homes Not Hospitals conference, which brought together families and organisations to discuss increasing community-based housing and support for people with learning disabilities and autism. In addition, the Commission attended BEAM Fieldwork’s Northwest Adult Social Care Summit in Manchester. BEAM Fieldwork is a research agency focused on using technology to streamline frontline work, and the summit brought together senior local government leaders to discuss the challenges and future of adult social care.
The Commission is grateful to everyone who welcomed us and took the time to share their expertise and experiences.
Stay involved
The Commission continues to welcome views, experiences and ideas from members of the public, people who draw on care and support, unpaid carers, care workers, providers and organisations across the sector.
You can share your experiences and find out more about the Commission’s work.
You can also sign up for updates from the Commission.