“Social care is about more than how we provide support - it reflects the kind of society we choose to build, and our Human Rights Act provides the practical framework for ensuring everyone can live with equal dignity, choice and respect.”
The British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) welcomes the Prime Minister's commitment to making social care a national priority and his call to move beyond political point-scoring to find lasting solutions. At a time when Government is seeking to build consensus around the future of social care, there is an important opportunity to focus not only on systems and structures, but on the people whose lives depend on them every day.
The Prime Minister spoke of the need for a care system that gives people dignity, security and the support they deserve. Those ambitions are reflected in the Human Rights Act, which helps ensure people can maintain relationships, exercise choice and control, remain connected to their communities and live independently for as long as possible. Through protections such as the right to private and family life and home (Article 8), government and public bodies already have a legal responsibility not only to prevent harm but to actively support people's wellbeing and autonomy.
As Government begins a national conversation about the values and principles that should underpin the future of social care, it is worth recognising that we already have a shared set of values embedded in law. The Human Rights Act provides an existing - if currently underused - foundation. It was never intended to be used only after things have gone wrong. When Parliament brought rights home, the ambition was to build a culture of respect for human rights across public services, where dignity, equality, autonomy and freedom guide everyday decisions. That vision remains as important today as it was when the Act was introduced.
The challenge is not that we lack the tools for change, but that we have not consistently committed to making its promise a reality. Creating social care that respects and upholds people's rights requires sustained investment in the people, organisations and systems that deliver support every day. It means giving staff, leaders, advocates, people drawing on care and families the confidence and skills to use the Human Rights Act in everyday decisions; not only when things go wrong, but to prevent harm, navigate competing pressures and help people live ordinary lives with equal dignity.
For more than 25 years, BIHR has been working to close the implementation gap between the promise of the Human Rights Act and people's everyday experiences. Across towns, cities and communities throughout the UK, we work alongside people, families, practitioners, advocates and public services to embed human rights into everyday decision-making.
Together, we harness the power of the Human Rights Act to help answer some of the most important questions in social care: How can younger disabled people live independently? How can people with dementia remain in the places they call home with the right support? How can mental capacity decisions better respect people's wishes, feelings and rights? Through this work we have seen conversations shift, decisions change, services reimagined and policy influenced by the experiences of people drawing on care and support.
Our work shows what becomes possible when the Human Rights Act is implemented as Parliament intended: as the practical legal framework that guides everyday decisions, safeguards people's rights when they are at risk, and helps build a culture of respect for human rights across public services.
As Government develops its plans for social care, we hope this is a moment not only for reform, but for investing in the implementation of that vision. The future of social care will not be shaped by structures and legislation alone, but by the everyday decisions made in homes, care settings and communities across the country. By investing in a culture of respect for human rights, we can help ensure those decisions enable everyone to live with dignity, choice and respect, making real the promise of the Human Rights Act for everyone who draws on, delivers and shapes social care.
Explore further:
Stories of people drawing on social care who’ve benefited from HRA Advocacy:
Balbir’s story: dignified care at home, ensuring she received an accessible bathroom instead of being expected to strip-wash in her kitchen after a stroke.
Janet’s story: supporting a former prisoner of war to live independently at home instead of entering residential care.
Joseph’s story: day centre staff challenged to rethink restrictive practices and develop better ways to support safety
Our human rights programmes with social care systems:
Our human rights programmes with people drawing on social care: