Barking and Dagenham Council has formally backed national social care reform, aligning with the Prime Minister's commitment to address the sector's long-term challenges. The Prime Minister has pledged to tackle increasing demand, spiralling costs, and the ongoing relationship between social care and the NHS.
The Full Council meeting on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, unanimously passed a motion supporting the Big Conversation on Care,
a national initiative aimed at gathering public input to shape the future of adult social care. This initiative seeks to find common ground across party lines, setting out a new approach to politics based on problem-solving rather than point-scoring.
It is an online platform for the public to share their views, starting with the values and principles a care system should be built on.
Councillor Julia Williams, Chair of the Pensions Committee and Labour Group Secretary, who proposed the motion, highlighted social care as one of the biggest long-term challenges facing local authorities.
She emphasised the critical role of social care in supporting elderly and vulnerable residents, enabling hospital discharges, and providing vital assistance to unpaid carers. The Big Conversation on Care
is also working to address the needs of unpaid Carers.
Councillor Williams also noted the council's own success, with Barking and Dagenham's adult social care service having received an outstanding
rating from the Care Quality Commission. However, she stressed that national issues such as increasing demand, spiralling costs, and the integration of social care with the NHS require a broader, cross-party approach. Lasting change, she added, will need a cross-party approach to ensure these challenges can be dealt with over the long term.
Seconding the motion, Councillor Faiza Noreen stated that social care's critical role in prevention often gets marginalised due to the pressure of demand, leading to interventions primarily occurring during crises. She added that the national conversation is essential for achieving a better balance and ensuring timely support for those in need.
The motion resolves to actively promote the Big Conversation on Care
within the borough, encouraging participation from residents, staff, carers, providers, and unions. The council commits to making sure Barking and Dagenham contributes to this national conversation and will promote the initiative to residents, staff, carers, providers, Unions and local partners, encouraging the fullest possible local participation. The council also pledged its full support and participation in the national initiative, offering to share local data and case studies, including innovative solutions that had been used in the Borough.
Furthermore, the council committed to working constructively with all political groups, neighbouring authorities, health partners, and unions to foster a problem-solving approach to social care reform. Barking and Dagenham has a formal partnership between health and ourselves, rather than sitting as two committees looking at the same reports
and is part of a national pilot to bring about neighbourhood working with colleagues in health.
Councillor Williams will report back to the Full Council on the outcomes of local engagement and the commission's findings. The council will also continue to work constructively with all political groups represented on this Council, and with neighbouring authorities, health partners and Unions.
Public reports pack Wednesday 23-Sep-2026 19.00 Full Council Minutes Agenda frontsheet Wednesday 23-Sep-2026 19.00 Full Council