There is an urgent need to assess long term care in terms of the benefits it brings, rather than its costs, if funding allocation arguments in local councils are to be won, experts have said.
Speaking at think tank Strategic Society's ‘Cap to Reality: The route to 2016 and care funding reform' Professor Julien Forder, of the University of Kent, said: "We need to assess the benefits of care, otherwise it makes it difficult to make the case for increases in scope and funding.
"A sense of value leads to a willingness to pay for care, as opposed to other public purpose."
He added that the purpose of the original commission looking into care was to examine ‘wellbeing and the quality of life'.
Paul Burstow MP, former Minister for Care Services, agreed that a return to the wellness principal was "critical".
He added: "Resource allocations are opaque and hard to get hold of. We need to clear these away as they are currently outwith the law.
"We need to understand how local authorities come up with the figures they use to determine what they will pay towards care.
"We also need a robust approach towards dispute.
"if not, then those practicing legal business will make a good living once the complaints start."
Paul Najsarek, Director of Community Health and Wellbeing, London Borough of Harrow, however was cautious: "It is a jolly good idea that there will be transparency although the problem is that market conditions for care will remain locally controlled, leaving less scope for manoeuvre in some areas."
