Social care reform
The Social Care White Paper asserts ‘When technology is embedded into care and support services, it can be transformative, helping people to live happy, fulfilled lives in their homes and communities.’ It sets out several promising initiatives, including a new scheme to test new care technology. SCIE and Channel 3 Consulting explore what the future could hold.
"I believe social care exists to support people to live healthy, meaningful lives. This requires government commitment for the long term and sustained investment in the future we are wanting to build.", explains Think Local Act Personal's Clenton Farquharson MBE in his latest blog on social care reform.
"The words ‘thank you’ do not seem enough to express my gratitude for the incredible work you have all done to keep residents, colleagues and communities safe, both as individuals and teams, throughout 2021. They are, however, deeply heartfelt" says Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, Deborah Sturdy in this Christmas message to the care workforce.
With or without reform, the quality, reliability and effectiveness of our adult social care system depends on a workforce that feels valued, supported and encouraged to be the best. It is no accident the White Paper on social care reform is called ‘People at the Heart of Care’, as our Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, Deborah Sturdy explains.
The desire to reform, rebuild and strengthen social care has been a longstanding ambition of successive governments and, while these objectives may be simply put, achieving them has often been anything but. This week, we took another big step forward with the publication of People at the Heart of Care, our adult social care system reform white paper.
Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, is delighted Made with Care, the Government’s new social care recruitment campaign in England, has now launched to encourage many more people to pursue careers in social care. She explains why careers in care are rewarding, flexible and transformative.
Involving people with lived experience will be an essential element of social care reform, as will the wise counsel of the many organisations supporting them. Jackie O'Sullivan, Mencap’s Executive Director of Communications, Advocacy and Activism, reflects on a positive meeting with Department of Health and Social Care colleagues, as sector engagement gets fully underway.
