Governments 'asleep at the wheel' over social care, says head of review

And she said the failings identified by the recent Covid inquiry report into social care were testament to that.

Baroness Casey, who will address a conference of social care leaders later on Wednesday, said the findings were "so awful" and "a national shame".

"Successive governments have been asleep at the wheel. We've got our heads in the sand."

Her final recommendations for services for older people and adults with disabilities, including care homes, will be published next summer.

It comes as her commission publishes research showing England is an international outlier for having no "clear system of stewardship" for social care, unlike countries such as France and Germany.