Funding adult social care: what can England learn from other countries?

As the government prepares to launch its green paper on social care in England, the issue of how to fund adult social care could not be more pressing. With hundreds of thousands of older people now no longer eligible for state-funded social care, and councils struggling to cover the costs of an ageing population, the political gridlock that has prevented a solution to funding long-term care cannot continue.

So what can we learn from other countries? How have other nations managed to grasp the nettle and achieve fundamental reform with public support? And what pitfalls might be ahead as the government publishes its green paper on social care?

At the event, the Nuffield Trust will present the findings of a new report looking at the Japanese long-term care system. We will also hear about the experiences of countries like Germany and France, before opening up into a wider discussion about the English social care system and how the green paper could take things forward.

We very much hope you can join the All-Party Parliamentary Health Group and the Nuffield Trust to discuss this vital social care challenge.

• Natasha Curry, Senior Fellow in Health Policy, Nuffield Trust. On 9 May the Nuffield Trust will be publishing a report on what England can learn from the Japanese social care system. Report author Natasha will be presenting the key findings.
• Jonathan McShane, Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care, Local Government Association (outgoing). Why does England need a social care green paper in the first place? Jonathan will be explaining the day to day reality of social care provision and funding in England, and what he hopes the green paper will address. 
• Dr. José-Luis Fernández, Associate Professorial Research Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science. The government will be looking at a variety of other models and countries that have risen to similar challenges in social care. José-Luis will present on how the German social care system might also provide solutions for policy makers as they approach the green paper.