Expert Panel Brings Social Care Conversation To Heart Of Labour Party Conference
This year’s Labour Party Conference saw a host of MPs and social care leaders come together for a discussion about the future of social care innovation.
The event was jointly organised by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), and social care communications experts PLMR, in hopes of bringing social care to the forefront of the week’s conversations and policy agendas.
The panel included Anna Dixon MP for Shipley, who has formerly served as an advisor to the Department for Health and Social Care and as CEO of the Centre for Ageing Better; Ben Coleman MP, who formerly held the role of Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care in Hammersmith and Fulham; Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, Associate Director of Think Local Act Personal (TLAP); and Sarah Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Anchor.
Chaired by SCIE’s Chief Executive Officer, Kathryn Smith, the panel discussion explored how we can overcome barriers to innovation in social care. Far from just discussing the role of technology, the broad discussion covered everything from integration to breaking down silos, funding, the role of the workforce, improving local areas to be more accessible, and the relationship with the NHS.
The 100-capacity venue was standing room only as audience members crammed in to enjoy hearing from the panel’s two recently elected MPs about their experiences of social care innovation that they are bringing to Government.
Ben Coleman MP shared his insights on how he led Hammersmith and Fulham to become the first place in England to provide universal free care at home during his time as a Councillor in the borough. He stressed that the way to innovate and build a National Care Service is to work with people with lived experience of care and those who work in the sector.
Anna Dixon MP highlighted her 25 years’ experience working in social care to improve access and reduce inequalities, which she will bring to her new role as a Parliamentarian. She told the audience that for too long people have not been able to get the care and support they need, and that the new Government recognises social care is essential to their missions and to economic growth.
The range of panellists provided multiple perspectives from Local Government, Advocacy, Provider and Policy Experts. Sarah Jones, CEO of the UK’s largest not-for-profit provider Anchor, talked about the importance of the care provider voice being included in local and national conversations about care reform. She stressed that innovation goes far beyond technology and called for collaborative action to get the simple values and basic principles right using the tools available to us.
The highlight of the event was a powerful question and answer session with the audience, during which people shared their personal experiences and ideas for enhancing the healthcare system.
Dr Clenton Farquharson, Associate Director of Think Local Act Personal (TLAP), closed the event with a powerful reflection:
“This is about people’s lives. The stories we’ve heard today are about wanting to live a gloriously ordinary life. The role of Government is to create the conditions that enable us to live that life, and I hope that we will be part of that discussion in true co-production not just partnership. Disabled people at a local level often know a lot about the issues, but there isn’t the funding to help them to be part of the solution. We want to be at the table – not just on the menu.”
Commenting on the event, Kathryn Smith, CEO of SCIE, said:
“I thought that was a really interesting panel discussion with fascinating questions from the audience. It showed some of the really basic system infrastructure issues that we haven’t got right yet. It showed the importance of partners working together – across housing, employment, and social care, to push innovation and break down barriers.”
Lucy Taylor, Associate Director and Deputy Head of Health and Social Care at PLMR said:
“It was a real joy to be able to bring such a powerful discussion to the heart of the Labour Party Conference. The session illustrated just how much we can do to innovate in the sector beyond the adoption of technology and I hope that people have come away with new ideas and connections to help make this happen. In particular, it was really encouraging hearing from two newly elected MPs about their passion for social care, and to know that they will be championing the sector in their new roles in Government.”
