Sunderland Council light the way for Burnham’s social care changes
Written by Lirael McKenzie on 5th October 2026
This week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has fleshed out his plans to reform social care at the Labour Party conference. At almost the same time, Sunderland City Council’s Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee was reviewing innovative plans to reform elderly adult social care services.
Reflecting on international trends of access to treatment and care, Ryan Swiers, Deputy Director of Sunderland City Council’s health and wellbeing committee said: “New Zealand… have a model which is… more community focused and has better outcomes (for patients).”
The councillors proposed the idea of having ‘community care’ focused centres in neighborhoods and communities to improve the lives of the people of Sunderland, making care more convenient, accessible and timely.
Mr Swiers added, (patients) can have the same high quality care out of hospital and that not doing it is “not an option.”
The shift to community-based care aims to act as a preventative measure, to stop elderly patients from having to go into hospital and to reduce the strain on the NHS and the necessity for more beds.
These proposed changes have come amongst a recruitment drive in Sunderland for the social care sector, with the Sunderland Care and Support Recruitment fair recently having taken place.
Vendors at the fair declined to comment on Andy Burnham’s recent proposals and their thoughts on the current standards of care in Sunderland.
Having good standards of community care is an ideal shared widely by many healthcare professionals across the Tyne and Wear Region.
Emma Scott, an ex-community care manager, is a veteran of the health and social care sectors, having worked in the Tyne and Wear Region for 11 years in a variety of different positions.
She stressed the necessity for better social care standards, believing the “private sector” needs the most investment.
She said:”It would take a massive overhaul of funding and training to improve the current situation.”
Burnham is reported to share his in – depth plans in the social care review, with a report expected to be released in 2028.
