Shropshire care homes highlight pressures to government review team

The visit was part of fact-finding for the Casey Commission independent review of adult social care announced by the Government in July 2025.

The visit by the Casey Commission team was arranged following a meeting in January 2026 between Partners in Care and Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire and Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and Social Care.

The Casey Commission’s Director, Daisy Yates, and Deputy Director, James Mackie, visited New Fairholme in Oswestry, a Coverage Care nursing home which opened in 2013. They were given a short tour of the home with an opportunity to meet some of the residents and their families, followed by two separate roundtable sessions, the first with representatives from Shropshire Council, the second with representatives from Partners in Care members, Board members and officers, and a representative of NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB).

David Crosby, Chief Officer for Partners in Care, said: “We are hugely grateful to the Casey Commission team for taking the time to visit North Shropshire and hear first-hand from some of our members about the vital work they do to support some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, as well as the challenges facing the adult social care sector, including financial challenges, workforce and delivering care in a rural area like Shropshire.”

Debbie Price, Chief Executive of Coverage Care and Chair of Partners in Care’s Board of Directors, said: “Hosting the event provided Shropshire with an important platform to demonstrate the level of frailty and complexity of the people who rely on our services. Ensuring that these realities are understood at a national level is essential, and having a voice within the Casey Commission is a vital step in shaping the future of adult social care.

“For Shropshire, meaningful reform must recognise the unique challenges of delivering care in a rural county with a growing older population. We need sustained investment in social care – not only financially, but through a long term, strategic plan that acknowledges the pressures faced by our teams and the increasing complexity of need. By contributing directly to the Commission’s work, we hope to ensure that the experiences of our communities, providers, and workforce influence a fair and sustainable model for the future.”

Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said: “I’m really pleased that Shropshire’s social care providers had the chance to meet the Casey Commission team and give a vital insight into the challenges they face delivering care in rural areas.

“Social care is not always top of the agenda, but getting it right is crucial for fixing our NHS and giving elderly and vulnerable people the dignity they deserve.”