The owner of a Nantwich home care company has contributed to the national conversation shaping the Casey Commission’s review of adult social care.
Ben Selby, who runs Right at Home South Cheshire, was involved in a cross-county meeting with Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, and other providers.
They discussed similar pressures they are facing, including rising operating costs and barriers to recruitment.
Ben met with colleagues connected with Baroness Louise Casey, Chair of the Commission, to ensure local concerns are reflected in future reforms.
The Casey Commission, announced by the Government in July 2025, is examining the deep-rooted issues affecting the social care system and exploring how to create a more sustainable model for the future.
Ben said decades of underfunding have pushed prices below the true cost of delivering safe, regulated home care, leaving many providers struggling to maintain high-quality services.
The Home Care Association, which represents more than 2,000 home care providers nationwide, has set the Minimum Price for Home Care at £34.42 per hour from April 2026.
This figure is designed to cover National Living Wage requirements and the essential costs of running a compliant care service.
However, many public bodies, including the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in Cheshire and Merseyside, are paying far below this rate.
Ben said: “This local body has recently asked us to provide care at a rate of £24 an hour, which is a reduction on what they were providing previously.
“As a result, we haven’t taken on any new local authority-funded care packages because we wouldn’t be able to deliver the high-quality care we’re known for at that rate.”
Ben also raised concerns about changes to National Insurance thresholds and contribution rates.
He said the combination of a lower NI threshold, an increase in employer contributions from 13.8% to 15%, and the rise in the National Living Wage is placing additional strain on providers.
He told Commission members that many local authority-funded providers have already been forced to hand back contracts or close entirely.
As a private provider, he said he has been left with “no choice” but to increase prices for self-funders, a change that has led some vulnerable adults and families to reduce the level of care they receive.
He added: “Changes to NICs added around £60,000 to our costs last year, a figure we simply cannot absorb.
“I’ve been forced to raise our prices, and unfortunately that has meant some clients have had to cut back on the care they need.”
Ben said he hopes members of the Commission will make clear to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer that the challenges facing care providers across Cheshire and Shropshire are “real and do exist”.
He also expressed hope the independent review will set out recommendations for a “multi-year funding settlement to meet future demand, help improve access to care and cover the full cost of running a quality care service”.
Ben added: “I call on the government to exempt care providers from increased NICs and implement a national contract to set a minimum price for care services, ensuring that all costs of running a care business are considered.”
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