A brighter social care future: co-producing the evidence to make five key changes

Welcome to A brighter social care future: Evidence Review - co-produced by Research in Practice and Social Care Future.

Groups of people with different experiences of social care have worked together to discuss issues related to social care that are important to them, while reflecting on and interpreting research on these issues. This Evidence Review is the result of those rich and diverse discussions and is structured around Social Care Future’s five key changes needed in social care to unlock an equal life:

• Communities where everyone belongs
• Living in the place we call home
• Leading the lives we want to live
• More resources, better used, and
• Sharing power as equals.

The Evidence Review started from the idea that adult social care has been under-imagined. What would adult social care look like if it truly began from the Care Act 2014’s wellbeing principle, which makes it clear that a local authority has to ensure that individual wellbeing must be at the centre of all it does? What does wellbeing mean when it’s interpreted by those with lived experience of social care?

Using this Evidence Review

Each section contains resources, research and commentary that explores and supports a key change alongside action and reflective points.

We encourage everyone to find action points that are relevant to them and consider how they can be achieved. Think about how these actions will have a direct impact on the lives of the people you work with. If you are someone who draws on social care yourself, please share this resource with any workers you know.

Research in Practice would like to hear from those who use this Evidence Review. In the spirit of co-production, you could contact us jointly with someone with care and support needs. We would be keen to feature your stories in podcasts and blogs.

The five key changes