Looking ahead: supporting social care through change 

As I prepare to step down from my role as Chief Executive at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), I have been reflecting on the journey we have taken together and the vital role our sector continues to play in enabling people to live fulfilling lives. Our mission as an independent charity is to support best practice, shape policy and raise awareness of the importance of social care, working in partnership with local councils and others to improve social care for adults and children. 

Working within social care at a time of profound challenge and transformation has been a privilege. Every day, I have been reminded of the commitment, compassion and creativity of colleagues across local government, the voluntary and community sector, and the wider system. One of the most rewarding aspects of my role has been supporting Directors of Adult Social Services (DASSs) to navigate the complexity of delivery while keeping individuals and families at the heart of decision‑making. 

Not all of you will know exactly what we do and how we can help, so do please feel you can get in touch to find out more. As an overview, we provide innovative consultancy, expert training, extensive resources and information, and evidence-based insights for the continual improvement of social care.    

We deliver our offers in two main ways – we have a free programme of sector led improvement support for councils funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, working with Partners in Care and Health (contact us to find out more); and separate, but complementary, our commercial offer can support you in any way outside of that.  Because we are not-for-profit, any income goes towards improving social care, and we remain committed to working alongside DASSs and their teams—listening, understanding local contexts, and providing solutions that reflect the realities you face.  

Many of you will already know my experienced colleague Gerard Crofton‑Martin, who is stepping into the role of Interim Chief Executive, as our Director of Transformation and Improvement, leading multimillion‑pound programmes supporting local authorities and Government Departments with adult social care improvement and transformation, workforce development and knowledge management. Gerard and his team would be happy to have an exploratory chat at any time.   

Last year we worked with over 35 clients across local improvement, safeguarding and DHSC-funded work, galvanising innovation initiatives and training over 3,500 people across adults and children’s social care. Our support ranges from pathway redesign to demand forecasting and management, new models of commissioning  to Local Government Reform (LGR). We have worked with Bromley Council on digital transformation, importantly enabling Bromley residents and their carers to exercise greater independence and direct control over the support options that best suit their lives, while making £2 million savings in its first year. Care costs have been reduced by nearly 30%, above a forecast 10-15% reduction, and administrative time by around 20% across core operational processes. 

In Kingston, our review of strengths-based practice, training and  commissioning models, has resulted in extending strengths-based practice from an internal Local Authority priority to include adoption by providers, to ensure continuity of approach. Next, we will support the Council to make care-planning and delivery of care more outcomes-focused,  including the use of more evidence-based metrics. 

Other examples include reviewing the co-production strategy for Bath and North East Somerset, helping identify gaps and weaknesses in current practices, and helping Hounslow demonstrate the value of social care to their councillors, which has supported their drive to extend and improve use of direct payments, giving people more choice in managing their care and a much more consistent delivery of care across the area. We worked with the ICB and Local Authority in Croydon to provide a new integrated single mental health pathway to address intersectional issues for autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities trying to access mental health support, preventing people being sent into inpatient settings and potentially 117 arrangements, which the CQC recognised as being a good example for improving equity and experience in outcomes. We also provided training to Barking and Dagenham with their direct payment approach, again recognised in their CQC report. 

We’re delighted to have received feedback that our SCIE Resource Get Me to Hospital, providing guidance to practitioners on taking people with cognitive impairments to hospital, is already having a positive impact; and we have been testing our housing toolkits for supported housing, the value of which has been evidenced in new statutory guidance issued last week, with Norfolk and Cumberland, influencing the development of their housing strategies focused on adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults. Currently being co-produced, these can be adapted and rolled out to adults with other conditions. 

Our work supporting local authorities ahead of CQC assessments has recently been referenced in CQC’s review of Oldham Council  – you may be interested in our detailed analysis of 76 CQC assessment reports.  

As I hand over to Gerard, I want to extend my sincere thanks for the relationships, learning and shared purpose that have shaped my time at SCIE. It has been an honour to contribute to a mission that matters so deeply.  

If you would like to explore SCIE’s support or contact Gerard as he steps into his new role, please email gerard.crofton-martin@scie.org.uk, or visit www.scie.org.uk where you can watch our film (including guest appearances from fellow DASSs!).