With the Covid-19 Inquiry turning its attention to the social care sector, and as the Casey Commission gears up to set out its pathway for major long-term reform, this is a pivotal moment to take stock. How can England build a care system that’s not only fair and functional, but resilient in the face of future crises?
In support of these vital conversations, Nuffield Trust and LSE's Care Policy and Evaluation Centre are publishing a set of international case studies exploring how four countries – Denmark, France, Japan and the Netherlands – managed the social care challenges of the pandemic. The reports look at what helped and hindered responses in each country, and how their systems have started to recover and prepare for future shocks.
While almost all countries faced intense challenges in supporting and protecting their care systems during the pandemic, the impacts were more effectively mitigated in countries where care systems were in a relatively strong state as infections began to spread. Rich learning can also be gathered from countries that struggled in the face of Covid-19 and the approaches they have taken subsequently to build resilience, whether successful or otherwise. Understanding this is crucial as England moves towards reform and takes part in a major government pandemic response exercise later this year.
Read our summary report, which sets out the key lessons that emerged prominently across the four case studies, along with a discussion of how they could be relevant to the English context. And for the full detail on different countries' experiences, you can read the international case study reports below.
What can social care in England learn from Denmark’s experience during Covid-19?
What can social care in England learn from France’s experience during Covid-19?
What can social care in England learn from Japan’s experience during Covid-19?
What can social care in England learn from the Netherlands’ experience during Covid-19?
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Suggested citation
Curry N, Oung C, Comas-Herrera A and Marczak J (2025) Building resilience in adult social care: Learning the lessons from other countries’ experiences of Covid-19. Research summary, Nuffield Trust and LSE Care Policy and Evaluation Centre.