The Towards an Equal Life Series

The Whose Social Care is it Anyway inquiry group and report identified “5 Key Changes to Unlock an Equal Life” to achieve the Social Care Future vision

The report said the next stage of the work would be to explore these key changes in more detail. We wanted to get really clear what we wanted to see, explore the opportunities and challenges supporting/in the way and identify what action might be taken/influenced by Social Care Future in support of progress. To get this going the Social Care Future convenors agreed to hold five monthly gatherings for members of our movement and interested others – one focussing on each of the key changes. The first of these - Communities where Everyone Belongs is being done as a roundtable jointly with New Local on November the 16th. Social-Care-Future-On-Line-Spring-Gathering-16th-November-2021-.pdf (socialcarefuture.org.uk)

Then we will do four monthly full day gatherings for the rest of the key changes. The December one is Living in a Place we call Home Social-Care-Future-On-Line-Spring-Gathering-14th-December-2021.pdf (socialcarefuture.org.uk)

Links and connections

Of course we are doing this work to position for the most useful action and biggest impact in moving towards achieving the SCF vision. We have been talking and planning with others about how these sessions can fit with other activity to that effect. Two of these:

·??????Research in Practice have partnered with us to focus the next of their big evidence reviews on evidence that can support the 5 Key Changes and to do this in a co-productive way. This is just getting going but will connect to and be steered by the ideas from the gatherings.

·??????Stephen Chandler, the ADASS president kicked of a discussion about “Fleshing out” the vision and key changes in a way that might allow us to paint a picture of what social care would look like in places if we make good progress towards the vision. The idea was that if we could do this (ideally together with councils and providers of support) we might be better placed to get more focussed action of various kinds to close the gap between the “what is now” and “what we want”. We had an initial meeting with ADASS, LGA, CPA, SCIE and TLAP about this. There is also the possibility of a joined up big event next year to share what emerges and design action

A number of academics in social work and social care from Manchester Met University have also volunteered to help by observing each of the monthly gatherings and preparing pieces that pull together the key themes, ideas, examples and potential actions to help us steer and plan.?

Please consider joining us to offer your experiences, ideas and energy. It doesnt have to be like this!