Public affairs & social care
A national voice for the CAA
In the campaign's first nine weeks we built a national voice for the CAA: a research-led policy paper backed by the Rt Hon Damian Green, 24 pieces of secured coverage, cross-party meetings with MPs and peers, a live Parliamentary pledge tracker and a monthly newsletter, positioning the Alliance at the centre of the funding debate ahead of the Casey Commission.
- 9,000
- Member organisations
- 24
- Pieces in nine weeks
- £8.3bn
- Funding gap by 2032/33
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Care industry magazine
Care Association Alliance sets out a national funding model for adult social care, designed to give families certainty, providers stability, and councils the resources to do their job
Care industry magazineCare Association Alliance sets out a national funding model for adult social care, designed to give families certainty, providers stability, and councils the resources to do their job
Ealing responds to label as 'lowest in London for social care spend'
Leading social care trade title
Care Association Alliance sets out a national funding model for adult social care
Leading social care trade title
CAA sets out a national funding model for adult social care
The brief
The Care Association Alliance, representing 9,000 care organisations across England, appointed Bridgehead to build its public voice from scratch: a research-led paper making the case for funding reform, sustained media and Parliamentary engagement, and an owned channel to its members, timed to land ahead of Baroness Casey's commission on adult social care.
What they needed
Establish the CAA as a unified, credible voice for England's independent care associations.
Build the evidence base for a national funding settlement ahead of the Casey Commission.
Secure sustained national and trade media coverage for the reform programme.
Track Government and Parliamentary engagement with social care funding in real time.
Give CAA members an owned channel to follow and act on the campaign.
The approach
An integrated public-affairs campaign: original research, proactive media relations, live Parliamentary monitoring and a member newsletter, all timed to the Casey Commission's own timetable.
A research-led flagship report
We wrote and designed Adult Social Care Funding Reform, the first paper in the CAA's Building a National Care Service programme, including original analysis age-standardising spend-per-adult across all 153 English upper-tier authorities to test, and confirm, the sector's postcode-lottery claim.
Proactive trade and national media relations
We placed the paper and the CAA's running commentary on the funding debate in Care Home Professional, Caring Times, The Carer, Care Talk, Comment Central and beyond, securing 24 pieces of coverage in the campaign's first nine weeks, almost all built around direct quotes from co-chair Melanie Weatherley MBE. That includes local pickup: the Ealing Times ran the report's finding that Ealing spends the least per adult on social care of any London borough, with the council responding directly.
A live Parliamentary pledge tracker
We built a bespoke tool that extracts every MP and peer statement on adult social care from Hansard, tags it, and uses Claude with web search to assess whether each pledge has been delivered, is in progress, or has stalled. It now tracks 64 pledges from 15 MPs and peers, giving the CAA a running scorecard to hold Government to its word.
A monthly newsletter to the sector
The Settlement, published monthly under the CAA's own masthead and edited by Melanie Weatherley MBE, gives members a direct call to action between paper launches. Three issues sent as of mid-July 2026.
Cross-party meetings with MPs and peers
Alongside the media campaign, we wrote individually to around 20 MPs and peers across all parties inviting them to meet Melanie Weatherley MBE and the Rt Hon Damian Green on funding reform. That outreach has already secured meetings with Tom Gordon MP, Gideon Amos MP and Alison Bennett MP (all Liberal Democrat, the latter the party's Care and Carers spokesperson), Anna Dixon MP (Labour, Chair of the Carers' APPG) and Anne Marie Morris (Reform UK's social care lead), with further meetings being followed up as replies come in.
The thought leadership
Adult Social Care Funding ReformPaper One of Building a National Care Service: A Programme for Reform
The first paper in the CAA's reform programme: the case for pooling England's ageing-population risk into a single national funding settlement, rather than leaving it split across 153 local authority budgets never designed to bear it.
member care organisations represented
projected annual funding gap by 2032/33
age-adjusted spend per adult for the same statutory entitlement
recommendations put to the Casey Commission
The results
pieces of coverage secured
cross-party MP and stakeholder meetings secured
MP and peer pledges tracked live
recommendations put to the Casey Commission
Coverage over time
Pieces of secured coverage by week since the campaign began (24 pieces, week commencing 11 May – 17 July 2026). Real Bridgehead-secured placements, not estimates.
The coverage
Care industry magazineFeature
Care Association Alliance sets out a national funding model for adult social care, designed to give families certainty, providers stability, and councils the resources to do their job
Care Talk · 17 July 2026
Local pickup
Ealing responds to label as 'lowest in London for social care spend'
Ealing Times · 16 July 2026
Leading social care trade titleNews
Care Association Alliance sets out a national funding model for adult social care
Caring Times · 16 July 2026
Leading social care trade titleLaunch
CAA sets out a national funding model for adult social care
Care Home Professional · 15 July 2026
National care sector title
News
Care Association Alliance Unveils National Funding Plan for Social Care
The Carer · 15 July 2026
Political and policy commentary site
Analysis
Pooling the risk of old age: the reform plan councils and providers can both live with
Comment Central · 13 July 2026
Member forum
Adult Social Care Funding Reform — from The Care Alliance Association
lcasforum.org · 7 July 2026
Care industry magazine
News
Care Association Alliance launches reform programme as sector warns 2028 is too late for social care
Care Talk · 27 June 2026
Quote
BREAKING NEWS: Social care vacancy rate falls to decade low but challenges ahead
Healthcare Management (Hemming Group) · 24 June 2026
Leading social care trade title
Public affairs
Care Leader: new PM must take social care off the 'too difficult' pile, and Burnham must stand by his word
Care Home Professional · 22 June 2026
National home care title
Public affairs
Care Leader: new PM must take social care off the "too difficult" pile, and Burnham must stand by his word
Home Care Insight · 22 June 2026
News
Care Association Alliance calls on Government to focus on national funding settlement
Croner (Navigate-Care) · 9 June 2026
National care sector titleNews
Focus on How Care Is Funded, Government Urged
The Carer · 4 June 2026
Leading social care trade title
Public affairs
CAA responds to government plans to abandon standalone national care service
Caring Times · 3 June 2026
National daily newspaperNews
Carers call for sector funding amid quiet abandoning of service plans
Morning Star · 31 May 2026
Leading social care trade title
News
Care chief: 'We never needed our own version of the NHS, we need a national funding settlement'
Care Home Professional · 29 May 2026
Leading social care trade title
News
Care Association Alliance launches policy papers targeting sector reform
Caring Times · 28 May 2026
Care sector trade titleNews
Programme of care reform policy papers launched
Care Management Matters · 28 May 2026
National care sector titleNews
Care Association Alliance Launches Reform Programme as Sector Warns 2028 Is Too Late for Social Care
The Carer · 27 May 2026
Leading social care trade title
Guest column
Melanie Weatherley MBE: 'We need a new vision for care sector reform'
Care Home Professional · 14 May 2026
Political and policy commentary site
Byline op-ed
Fixing the NHS means tackling the social care crisis Beveridge left behind. It is time for a new vision
Comment Central · 13 May 2026
The breakthrough
When the Prime Minister resigned, adult social care funding reform stayed part of the conversation about what comes next.
Following Sir Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister, we worked quickly with the CAA to respond, securing coverage in Care Home Professional and Home Care Insight that put social care funding reform directly in front of the incoming administration, with Melanie Weatherley MBE calling for the Casey Commission's timetable to be brought forward rather than used as a reason for delay.
Who we got in front of
Alongside the media campaign, we wrote individually to around 20 MPs and peers across all parties inviting them to meet Melanie Weatherley MBE and the Rt Hon Damian Green on funding reform. Five meetings are confirmed so far, spanning Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK.
Anna Dixon MP
Labour MP for Shipley · Chair, APPG on Carers
Met 26 June 2026
Teams call with Melanie Weatherley MBE and Damian Green. Agreed to help coordinate a parliamentary event to present the report's findings, and to form a cross-party working group on funding reform.
Gideon Amos MP
Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton and Wellington
Met 30 June 2026
In-person meeting at Westminster, alongside Alison Bennett MP, with Melanie Weatherley MBE and Damian Green, discussing the CAA's funding reform proposals.
Alison Bennett MP
Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Sussex · Lib Dem Spokesperson for Care and Carers
Met 30 June 2026
In-person meeting at Westminster, alongside Gideon Amos MP, with Melanie Weatherley MBE and Damian Green, discussing the CAA's funding reform proposals.
Tom Gordon MP
Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough · Officer, APPG on Adult Social Care
Met 9 June 2026
In-person meeting at Temple Chambers with Melanie Weatherley MBE, Damian Green and Susanna Lovelock (LinCA), discussing the case for a national funding settlement.
Anne Marie Morris
Reform UK social care lead · former Conservative MP for Newton Abbot
Met 2 July 2026
Discussed a national tariff for care, an independent arms-length body to manage the budget, and eligibility based on need rather than age. Morris followed up to thank the team for "a good meeting."
The owned channel
The Settlement
A monthly newsletter published under the CAA's own masthead and edited by Melanie Weatherley MBE, giving 9,000 member organisations a direct call to action between paper launches, and a running record of the coverage, meetings and pledges the campaign has secured.
The Settlement
The monthly campaign brief from the Care Association Alliance
July 2026
LatestSettling the Question: The Case for a National Settlement
The CAA has released the first of its Adult Social Care Funding Reform papers. Now the job is getting the campaign heard by the people with the power to implement it.
Edited by Melanie Weatherley MBE · Issued to CAA members
The Settlement
The monthly campaign brief from the Care Association Alliance
10 July 2026
A national funding model for adult social care, in full
The model designed to give families certainty, providers stability, and councils the resources to do their job, set out for members ahead of the Casey Commission.
Edited by Melanie Weatherley MBE · Issued to CAA members
The Settlement
The monthly campaign brief from the Care Association Alliance
1 July 2026
The moment we have been building towards
With Andy Burnham set to lead the country, the newsletter rallied members around the campaign's central demand: a national funding settlement, not another restructure.
Edited by Melanie Weatherley MBE · Issued to CAA members
Seen in
On the record
The coverage does the talking.
Care industry magazineFeature · Care Talk
Care Association Alliance sets out a national funding model for adult social care, designed to give families certainty, providers stability, and councils the resources to do their job
Local pickup · Ealing Times
Ealing responds to label as 'lowest in London for social care spend'
Leading social care trade titleNews · Caring Times
Care Association Alliance sets out a national funding model for adult social care
Leading social care trade titleLaunch · Care Home Professional
CAA sets out a national funding model for adult social care
National care sector titleNews · The Carer
Care Association Alliance Unveils National Funding Plan for Social Care
Political and policy commentary siteAnalysis · Comment Central
Pooling the risk of old age: the reform plan councils and providers can both live with
Member forum · London Care & Support Forum
Adult Social Care Funding Reform — from The Care Alliance Association
Care industry magazineNews · Care Talk
Care Association Alliance launches reform programme as sector warns 2028 is too late for social care
Quote · Healthcare Management
BREAKING NEWS: Social care vacancy rate falls to decade low but challenges ahead
Leading social care trade titlePublic affairs · Care Home Professional
Care Leader: new PM must take social care off the 'too difficult' pile, and Burnham must stand by his word
National home care titlePublic affairs · Home Care Insight
Care Leader: new PM must take social care off the "too difficult" pile, and Burnham must stand by his word
News · Croner
Care Association Alliance calls on Government to focus on national funding settlement
National care sector titleNews · The Carer
Focus on How Care Is Funded, Government Urged
Leading social care trade titlePublic affairs · Caring Times
CAA responds to government plans to abandon standalone national care service
National daily newspaperNews · Morning Star
Carers call for sector funding amid quiet abandoning of service plans
Leading social care trade titleNews · Care Home Professional
Care chief: 'We never needed our own version of the NHS, we need a national funding settlement'
Leading social care trade titleNews · Caring Times
Care Association Alliance launches policy papers targeting sector reform
Care sector trade titleNews · Care Management Matters
Programme of care reform policy papers launched
National care sector titleNews · The Carer
Care Association Alliance Launches Reform Programme as Sector Warns 2028 Is Too Late for Social Care
Leading social care trade titleGuest column · Care Home Professional
Melanie Weatherley MBE: 'We need a new vision for care sector reform'
Political and policy commentary siteByline op-ed · Comment Central
Fixing the NHS means tackling the social care crisis Beveridge left behind. It is time for a new vision
The impact
A published, evidenced funding paper the CAA can put directly to the Casey Commission, backed by the Rt Hon Damian Green.
24 pieces of national, trade and local coverage in nine weeks, almost all carrying direct CAA quotes rather than passive mentions.
Cross-party meetings secured with Anna Dixon MP (Labour), Tom Gordon MP, Gideon Amos MP and Alison Bennett MP (all Liberal Democrat) and Anne Marie Morris (Reform UK), putting the CAA's proposals directly in front of politicians across Labour, Liberal Democrat and Reform.
A live Pledge Tracker giving the CAA a standing record of 64 Government and Parliamentary commitments on social care, with a delivery verdict on 48 of them.
A monthly newsletter giving 9,000 member organisations a direct, owned channel to the campaign.
The outcome
Since May 2026: a flagship policy paper, 24 pieces of coverage, a live Parliamentary tracker and a monthly newsletter, built in nine weeks and still running, ahead of the Casey Commission's own timetable.
