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A long-term financial settlement for social care must be secured in order to stave off further crises in the sector, according to a new report from the think-tank the King’s Fund, writes Katie Leason.

It recommends a "radical review" to establish the right level of public funding for care services. This should look at the ageing population, the effects of raising standards of care, the relationship between health and social care, and the cost of land, property and labour.

In addition, the report suggests that the low pay and status associated with the work needs to be addressed.

"Better pay and conditions must be part of the solution to staff shortages. It will also be important to re-shape the job of care workers showing potential staff that it is about supporting people to lead their lives to the full rather than merely keeping them clean and well fed."

The report concludes that urgent action is needed to address the current problems in the care sector, and that whether a crisis occurs sooner or later depends on how local authorities and their NHS partners handle services in the coming months.