How the 2026 adult social care reforms affect families in Chichester and Bognor Regis

In December 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care set out its priorities for adult social care in England for 2026 to 2027, alongside a £4.6 billion funding boost to be made available nationally by 2028 to 2029. For families across Chichester, Bognor Regis and the surrounding villages, this matters. The direction of travel is clear: where it is safe and practical, care should be delivered at home, in the community, and around the routines that make life feel familiar.

At Right at Home Chichester and Bognor Regis, we have spent years supporting older adults and people with complex needs to remain in their own homes. The 2026 reforms reinforce a principle that has always sat at the heart of our work — that high-quality care is personalised, person-centred and rooted in the local community.

What the 2026 reforms actually change

The reforms are best understood as a shift in emphasis rather than a complete overhaul of the social care system. The headline points families should know are these:

•     Funding is being simplified. From 2026 to 2027, several existing adult social care grants are being combined into local councils’ main funding allocation, giving authorities such as West Sussex County Council more flexibility to respond to local need.

•     For the first time, the government has published indicative adult social care funding allocations for each local authority, covering a three-year period to 2028 to 2029.

•     A clear "Home First" direction has been set, with multi-disciplinary teams, neighbourhood health plans and integrated care records being prioritised.

•     There is fresh focus on supporting timely hospital discharge and on reablement — short-term, intensive support that helps people recover at home rather than entering long-term residential care unnecessarily.

•     Local authorities have been directed to set fee rates at sustainable levels so that registered providers can recruit and retain skilled carers ahead of further employment rights reforms.

West Sussex has an ageing population and significant rural pockets where access to community services can be patchy. The villages we cover — from Bosham, Lavant and Funtington in the north, through Chichester and Selsey, to Pagham, Aldwick, Felpham and Middleton on Sea along the coast — each have their own community rhythms. A "Home First" approach only works in practice if local providers know those communities well.

That is the model we already operate. Every Care and Support Plan we write is shaped around the individual: the routines they value, the people who matter to them, the GP surgery they prefer, the day centre they enjoy, the church they attend, the grandchildren they pick up from school. The 2026 reforms are an opportunity to scale what good home care has always looked like.

What families should do next

If you are starting to think about care for a parent, partner or yourself, the practical steps are straightforward. Begin with a needs assessment through West Sussex County Council’s Adults’ CarePoint on 01243 642121, or request one online through the council’s adult social care portal. This is free and is the route through which local authority funding is considered.

Alongside the council assessment, it is worth speaking with a registered home care provider directly. A good provider will visit, listen carefully, and produce a written Care and Support Plan that sets out exactly what care will be delivered, when, by whom, and how it will be reviewed. At Right at Home Chichester and Bognor Regis, this initial conversation carries no obligation and no fee.