Social care reform: the journey from here (updated)

The Health White Paper and some recently published documents have given some useful indications as to the timetable for social care reform over the next few months.

Here's what I think we can expect:

1. The Commission on the funding of long-term care will being its work in July 2010 and report in July 2011. I don't know why the coalition has called this work on "long-term care" rather than just "social care". I'm assuming it's a drafting question rather than one of policy.
2. There will be a "vision paper" on social care reform in November 2010. Given what follows (the White Paper below), I think we can safely assume this will be a testing document for the coalition government, partly to soften the ground on funding options and especially to row back on the ridiculous politicking that took place during the General Election.
3. Putting People First, the government's transformation programme for adult social care, is formally coming to an end in March 2011 (and, along with it, the end of the Social Care Reform Grant).
4. The coalition government is apparently considering agreeing a new milestone for the roll-out of Personal Budgets in social care in April 2011, hinting therefore at an extension of the Putting People First programme.
5. The Law Commission is undertaking a review of Adult Social Care legislation. The consultation on their proposals ran until the start of this month and a report is due in summer 2011.
6. There will be a new White Paper on social care in October 2011, which will focus on funding and the legislative framework. It's confusing as to how this relates to the White Paper on public health, which is being published in late 2010.

Update: further to point 1 above, the Commission on the Funding of Care and Support has been launched today. It's terms of reference are here and details of the 3 members that form the Commission are usefully provided by Community Care.