Mental health social care is not merely an adjunct to health services. It is a distinct and foundational part of how society supports people living with mental illness, deep distress or complex psychosocial needs. It seeks to enable people to live full and meaningful lives in their communities, not just to treat symptoms but to sustain agency, dignity and belonging.

We’re at a turning point in social care reform as it moves up the political agenda. Social care reform vows significant change – with the UK’s first Fair Pay Agreement and an independent review by Baroness Casey expected in 2027 set to determine next steps towards a new National Care Service. At the same time, political change in the UK presents a renewed opportunity to accelerate progress. As of August 2026, the UK’s Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has made commitments to fix the social care system, bidding to expedite the Casey Commission and assigning a cross-government ministerial team to lead reform plans.

In this paper, we argue that mental health social care cannot sit at the margins of reform. It must be explicitly recognised as a core component of the mental health system and embedded in the way policy, commissioning and system design are undertaken.