Yesterday, our voices were heard. The #ProvidersUnite Day of Action in Westminster brought together VCSE and social care providers, advocates, and those with lived experience to demand urgent reform for mental health social care and the wider social care sector. From powerful speeches and a supportive statement from the Liberal Democrats, we made it clear: the sector cannot survive if the Government proceeds with its fiscal proposals that will have a devastating impact on charities from April.

Last night, the House of Lords voted to exempt charities from National Insurance (NI) contribution increases ensuring they would continue to pay the current level of contributions – this is a welcome step in recognising the financial pressures on our sector.

However, this is not yet a victory. Whilst the Peers inflicted a heavy defeat on the Government, the amendments will now return to the House of Commons, where they may not be accepted. We must keep up the pressure to ensure MPs understand what is at stake and ensure they realise that this game of “ping pong” has real-life consequences – without their budgets adding up, mental health VCSE and social care organisations cannot continue delivering essential care and support services to people in our communities who need it most.

Even if the exemption is secured, it is only one piece of the puzzle. The cost of delivering services continues to rise, short-term contracts create instability, and the workforce is stretched to breaking point. We need the Government to go further by:

• Guaranteeing long-term investment in mental health VCSE and social care organisations, ensuring services have the stability to plan for the future.
• Fixing funding models so that mental health social care is recognised as an integral part of the wider health system, not an afterthought.
• Recognising the sector’s economic value, not just as a safety net for the NHS but as a driver of local economies and employment.
• Committing to fair wages for our workforce, ensuring that staff are properly paid for the vital work they do.

We urge the Chancellor and the Government to build on this momentum and make mental health social care a key part of their vision for a stronger, fairer society. The fight is far from over – the Providers Unite Day of Action has shown us that we must keep advocating, organising, and pushing for real reform.

Now is the time to turn recognition into action and we must keep the pressure on and ensure mental health social care gets the funding, respect, and long-term support it deserves.