Social Care Institute for Excellence

06/11/2026

SCIE’s trustees play a vital role in guiding our strategy, upholding our values and ensuring that everything we do drives progress towards our vision for a society which enables people who draw on social care to live fulfilling lives.

We are currently recruiting several new Trustees. We welcome strategic thinking, emotional intelligence and a collaborative approach.

Find out more and apply now:

Apply now for Trustees. , Unpaid role, expenses paid, find a career with meaning today

05/11/2026

Successive governments have recognised the urgency of social care reform, only to falter when confronted with the difficult questions of funding and delivery. The Prime Minister’s ambition for a person-centred, high-quality and home-first National Care Service offers a welcome opportunity to break this cycle.

In our latest blog, our Interim Chief Executive, Gerard Crofton-Martin, explores why sustainable funding, a skilled, supported and valued workforce, and better data and digital infrastructure will be essential to turn this ambition into reality.

Funding, workforce, data and improvement support: what’s needed to turn the promise of a National Care Service into reality.

04/11/2026

“Social care reform presents a significant opportunity to address the longstanding inequalities that shape people's access to care and support.”

Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) will join SCIE at this year's National Children and Adult Services Conference (NCASC) for a panel discussion exploring what it will take to build a fairer and more equitable social care system.

The session, ‘Beyond the postcode lottery: what does a fair social care system really look like?’, will bring together Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, TLAP; Chris Badger, Care Quality Commission; Gerard Crofton-Martin, SCIE; Phil Holmes, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS); and Jacqui Darlington BEM, National Co-production Advisory Group, to consider how inequalities in access, experience and outcomes can be better understood and addressed.

Find out more on our website.

Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) will join the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) at this year's National Children and Adult Services Conference (NCASC) for a panel discussion exploring what it will take to build a fairer and more equitable social care system.

02/11/2026

There is still time to register for our free webinar sharing new research on barriers to care and support, with leading professionals and a lived experience panel!

Join us on Wednesday 4 November from 11:00–12:30 as we share findings from SCIE’s qualitative research with Thinks Insight & Strategy, exploring how people experience inequities across their care journey. We’ll look at the barriers and pressures people described, what these findings add to the wider evidence on care equity, and what they could mean for policy, commissioning and practice.

Following a short presentation of the research, our panel will reflect on the implications of the findings and what needs to happen next to support fairer experiences and outcomes in social care:
- Deborah Rozansky, Director of Policy, Research and Partnerships, SCIE
- Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE CBE, Associate Director, Think Local Act Personal (TLAP)
- James Bullion CBE, Policy Lead (Casey Commission), Local Government Association
- Sandra Rennie, member of SCIE’s Co-production Steering Group

Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_b1SJH899RmujAqQMPglTGQ #/registration

28/10/2026

This morning the government announced that Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations will be retained and strengthened, so that patients’ and public experiences play a greater role in improving health and social care services.

In response, Gerard Crofton-Martin, Interim Chief Executive of SCIE, said:

"This is welcome news. The Health Bill’s schedule, which was due to remove the statutory Local Healthwatch arrangements, raised huge concerns about the loss of independent patient and public voice, particularly the risk that inequalities in access, experience and outcomes will become harder to identify and challenge.

"As part of this welcome change, we must ensure Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations are empowered to promote accessibility, independence, influence and accountability, which are necessary for patient and public voice to drive meaningful improvement. We need to enable people and communities to participate as equal partners in decisions about priorities, resources, services and improvement."

SCIE welcomes the government’s decision to retain and strengthen Healthwatch, protecting independent patient and public voice in health and care.

27/10/2026

There’s still time to register for our ‘Why Care Equity Matters: Learning from lived experience about barriers to care and support’ webinar🖥️ https://scie.info/Equity-Webinar-Facebook

This webinar will share findings from SCIE’s qualitative research with Thinks Insight & Strategy, exploring how people experience inequities when seeking, accessing and receiving social care.

Alongside a short presentation of the research, Deborah Rozansky, Director of Policy, Research, and Partnerships at SCIE; Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, Associate Director at Think Local Act Personal (TLAP); James Bullion CBE, Policy Lead (Casey Commission) at the Local Government Association; and Sandra Rennie, a member of SCIE’s Co-production Steering Group, will reflect on the implications of the findings and what needs to happen next to support fairer experiences and outcomes in social care. There will also be time for audience questions and discussion.

🗓️⏰ 4 November, 11:00 AM

26/10/2026

🌟 SCIE is returning to the National Children and Adult Services Conference (NCASC)🌟

We will be exploring what it means to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, identity or circumstances, has equal access to high-quality social care. We will share insights from our Care Equity Evidence Hub, our ‘How care inequities shape social care experiences’ research, and the work we’re doing with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education to improve transitions into adult social care.

We’re looking forward to connecting, sharing ideas and learning together. Make sure you’re following our social media channels and visiting our website for updates in the coming weeks.

23/10/2026

“This report is a timely reminder that we do not need to wait for wholesale reform to start building a better social care system.”

SCIE and Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) have today responded to the Care Quality Commission's ‘The state of health care and adult social care in England 2025/26’ report, which highlights inequalities in access to health and social care against a backdrop of rising demand, financial pressures and workforce instability.

Read statements from Gerard Crofton-Martin, Interim Chief Executive at SCIE, and Fiona Flowers, Head of Practice Improvement (Making it Real) at TLAP, on SCIE’s website.

This report is a timely reminder that we do not need to wait for wholesale reform to start building a better social care system.

22/10/2026

SCIE is proud to mark 25 years of supporting better social care. As momentum builds for reform, we remain committed to turning evidence, lived experience and best practice into real change that helps people live fulfilling lives. Read reflections on how much we’ve achieved and our renewed mission in this blog by Baroness Glenys Thornton, Chair of the Board at SCIE: https://scie.info/25-years-of-care-Facebook

19/10/2026

💻Why Care Equity Matters: Learning from lived experience about barriers to care and support💻

Inequities in social care rarely appear as a single barrier. Unclear information, repeated assessments, fragmented services, poor continuity and the need to keep asking, chasing and proving need can accumulate over time. For some, this leads to exhaustion, loss of trust and withdrawal from support.

The findings of SCIE’s ‘How care inequities shape social care experiences’ research with Thinks Insight & Strategy suggest practical solutions. This webinar will explore them in depth, as well as the implications for policy, commissioning and practice.

🗓️⏰ 4 November, 11:00 AM

Register for free now: https://scie.info/Equity-Webinar-Facebook