I work in adult social care and believe me it needs a massive kick up the arse. I don't enjoy running my colleagues down but social workers can be the most ****ing lazy, useless pieces of shite. They are meant to care for people in need but do the absolute minimum and really don't care less about the clients they have been allocated, and are more botherted about bunking off and doing the least amount of work for the pay they get. I know that there are loads who aren't like this but they are few and far between. I have come across cases recently where someone is receiving over Ł8k of care a week but hasn't had a review in over 4 years. And trust me for some people Ł8k a week is peanuts. Don't get me wrong I am not saying some people don't need 10 times that a week but the system just lets people keep adding onto care but social workers don't review or pick up the spending and block it. To be honest it is too much work or they don't like the 'difficult conversation' with family or friends (who are often the care provider). Care work needs to be brought in house rather than offloading it to piss-poor providers who give the minimum provision for the biggest pay. It makes my blood boil when I point out cases I have found where the Council is getting ripped off and nothing gets done as that person needs the care and nobody but the people ripping off the taxpayer can provide it.

RJK - I like your idea of it being controlled by the NHS but it would need some serious safeguarding and control putting in place as at the moment what I have seen of the NHS so far has been utterly amaterurish at best when it comes to making the correct decision for value for money versus what is right for the client.