Adult Social Care

Increasing pressure continues to build around hospital discharge pathways and how quickly families are expected to make decisions regarding ongoing care arrangements. Concerns remain around whether assessments completed during periods of instability fully reflect longer-term needs.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/

Local authorities continue to face challenges balancing growing demand with available resources, particularly where care packages involve complex or fluctuating needs.
https://www.local.gov.uk/topics/social-care-health-and-integration/adult-social-care

There remains continued focus on the importance of properly evidenced assessments, especially where decisions around funding eligibility or residential care are being considered.
https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/social-care-360

Later Life Support

Many families continue to encounter care issues reactively rather than through long-term planning, often following a fall, hospital admission or sudden deterioration in health.
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/care/

The pressures facing unpaid carers remain significant, particularly where individuals are attempting to balance work, family life and increasing care responsibilities.
https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice

Questions continue to arise around how families access reliable information and support when navigating the later life care system for the first time.
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/family-and-care/long-term-care

Consumer Duty & Vulnerability

The FCA’s Consumer Duty continues to reinforce expectations around identifying and supporting vulnerable customers, particularly during periods of significant life change.
https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/consumer-duty

Firms are increasingly expected to demonstrate that vulnerability considerations are embedded into everyday processes and communications rather than treated as a separate exercise.
https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/finalised-guidance/fg21-1.pdf

The interaction between financial decision-making, care planning and later life support continues to highlight the importance of joined-up thinking across professional services.
https://www.pwc.co.uk/industries/financial-services/consumer-duty.html