The government has been urged to make swift reforms to the social care system after an inquiry uncovered basic breaches of human rights.

Already, of course, the government has pledged to review the social care system, with the results expected to be published in the spring.

However, in light of the new report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the coalition has been told to make the issue more of a priority.

Councillor John Merry, of the Local Government Association, told BBC News: "These results are symptomatic of a social care system that is under-funded and in need of urgent reform.

"The longer ministers procrastinate, the more our population ages and the worse things will become."

Earlier this week, Cynthia Bower, the chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, explained that home care is one of the most difficult areas of social care to monitor.

She added that the operation of home care is not as transparent as that found in other sectors because the interactions usually happen behind closed doors.