A momentous day was held
Now – next steps
In February thousands of social care providers and supported people up and down the country shouted loud and called for better funding and support.
On the same evening as the day event, the House of Lords voted to exempt social care providers from the increase in employers’ contributions towards national insurance due from April.
This week it had its third reading in the Lords. With the legislation previously amended by them to try and exempt charities and social care organisations from eNICS increases, the government has already indicated that it is opposed to the amendments. Even if it goes back to Commons for final approval, unfortunately the amendments are likely to be removed.
Despite this, many national social care organisations are encouraging services to capitalise on the success of the Providersunite event – not least because of the numbers who demonstrated in London and in local areas, the media coverage and the MPs who interacted with the rally.
The event has allowed the movement to make pace – and now needs your feedback to progress!
Providers Unite are asking for your experiences if you attended the Westminster rally so that they can continue the campaign with your thoughts on the next steps forward. Click here to fill in the quick 5 minute survey. It is anonymous unless you choose to share your details.
With many of our SCA members at the rally in Westminster (pictured), Surrey Care Association also launched its brand-new film, Their Voice, Their Future.
As part of our support for the #ProvidersUnite movement across the UK, the film shows the difference adult social care providers in Surrey are making.
Said SCA Board member Hannah Millsted, CEO of The Millsted Group who attended the event and runs adult social care services for clients with Learning Disabilities: ‘Since the Autumn Budget, social care providers across the board have been forced into making a number of difficult decisions about the services they provide, due to insufficient funding and the increased pressures and demands being placed on them. 
It’s pretty simple. We need funding to adequately support people to live fulfilling and enabled lives. Without it, providers will be forced to close, threatening the future existence of social care and all those who use their services.’
Whether you were with the estimated 3,000 people at the #ProvidersUnite Westminster rally or you marked the event in Surrey, we are all calling for better. Check out ways you can help the movement in Surrey or in other campaigning activity below.
Says SCA Member Lucinda Kalupka from Home Counties Carers: ‘On February 25th, I travelled to London to take part in the ProvidersUnite protest rally—a peaceful march to Parliament Square aimed at raising awareness and demanding government attention on the crisis in the social care sector. Social care is unrecognised, undervalued, and critically underfunded, and without urgent change, the sector simply will not survive. Over 2,000 people attended, with providers, carers, and supporters traveling from Devon, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Somerset, Sussex, and beyond to make their voices heard.’
Adds Hannah: ‘The Providers Unite campaign is pushing for meaningful change in the social care sector, advocating for increased funding and policy adjustments to ensure the sustainability of these critical services. We’re proud to march alongside our fellow social care professionals, fighting for justice for a sector we all care so passionately about.’
SCA will continue to keep our members updated on what we can do in Surrey and in future Providers Unite plans. *KatHall/SCA
Coverage on the event
Care companies say they can’t carry on: Here’s why – Sky News
Value Social Care: Why Tuesday 25th February 2025 Matters for Millions? The Carer
Coverage on event, BBC – BBC Breakfast (from 07.25am); BBC Lunchtime news (from 21.29 mins in)
First cross-party talks on social care reform postponed – BBC News
Care providers to protest at Parliament against Labour’s devastating tax-raid Budget – Daily Express
Thankyou for your pictures: Westminster and Surrey!
*HomeCountiesCarers/HomeCareAssociation/NCF/Peak15/
What SCA members can do
- We have stats on adult social care in Surrey to support your local event making sure neighbours know about the great work going on.*KatHall/ProviderUnite/SCA
- Share our film, RT our posts! Why not get some of our leaflets to follow up on your promotion? Email: [email protected]
MP interactions 
SCA has been meeting with local Surrey MPs for a number of months and we are excited at the positive momentum of those interactions. Says Imogen Fitzjohn from the office of Gregory Stafford MP for Farnham and Bordon on the event:
‘It’s fantastic to hear that so many providers from across the country, including Surrey, were able to engage directly with their MPs on such an important issue. The news from the House of Lords regarding social care and NICs is certainly a positive step, and I appreciate the continued efforts to raise awareness of the sector’s challenges.’
The ProvidersUnite event saw hundreds of people directly go to Westminster and petition their local MPs. We can contact our own local MPs in Surrey and ask them to get involved in the debate Click here for your local MP and arrange a time to meet.
We are very grateful for the pics of you and your teams at the #ProvidersUnite event and locally. Now we would love to share what you are doing as part of the ongoing campaign – email [email protected]