Whilst listening to today's Queen's Speech on setting out the Government's forthcoming legislative agenda, I was struck by how much opportunity and untapped potential within the economy there is; and am quietly hopeful that many of the Bills to be laid before Parliament will help both the economic future for the country and go some way to helping repair some of the damage of the last Covid-ravaged 15 months or so.

However, I was so disappointed that there is nothing mentioned about adult social care - no recognition of the frontline fight of our care home, no support for this much needed and undervalued service provision and its service users.

Whilst the wider economic recovery and making the most of both pent-up demand and new opportunities as we build a 'new' post-covid normal is vital, my overwhelming feeling is sorrow that once again, social care services and the social care sector are left behind without clear plans to tackle the issues and needs of this essential area of society.

And with yet another missed opportunity to make a change for the better, the gulf between, to truly meet service needs and demands, grows ever wider.