SCIE media releases 2003

Black people being sought to join social care charity trustees

28 May 2003

Black people with an interest in social care are being sought by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) to join its board of trustees.

SCIE is an independent charity, set up to improve the quality of social care by promoting what works best. It is now seeking three board members to join the existing chair and eight board members.

In order better to reflect the diverse communities it serves, SCIE is particularly keen on receiving applications from people of African-Caribbean origin.

The three individuals will need strategic management, leadership or communications skills. They will have the ability and experience to help decide SCIE's strategic direction and to oversee its performance as an independent company and charity with a key role in the development of social care. Board members will be expected to devote about one day a month to SCIE.

Jane Campbell, chair of SCIE's board of trustees, said: "Valuing diversity, equality, fair treatment and social inclusion lie at the heart of the drive to improve quality in social care services. SCIE, as an employer and as a knowledge-services provider, places these values firmly at the centre of our work.

It is therefore vital that we have a trust board that both ensures SCIE's strategic direction is underpinned by these values and reflects the diverse communities that we serve. This is why we are particularly encouraging applications to join the board from minority-ethnic communities and/or individuals who have the experience of using social care services.

SCIE aims to address existing inequalities, eliminate discrimination and promote the human rights of all social care service users, their families and supporters. We strive to promote social justice and equality through our work and in partnership with other organisations. The new trustees will have an important role to play in helping to make these aspirations a reality."

Two of the successful appointees will then be nominated to the board by the Secretary of State for Health; the other will then be nominated by SCIE's chair. The closing date for applications is 25 June.

Notes for editors

The Social Care Institute for Excellence was established as an independent company and a charity by the Department of Health in England and by the Welsh Assembly in 2001.

Its role is to gather and publicise evidence of how to get the best results in social care, in order to improve social care policy and practice. Most of its funding comes in the form of grants from the Department of Health and the Welsh Assembly government. It draws on the expertise of people who use and work in services and on findings from research, inspections and service reviews.

SCIE's job is to make this knowledge widely available, translating it into accessible policy and practice guidance and promoting its use to enhance the quality of social care services.

The charity works closely with service users and their supporters and carers, with practitioners and service providers and with social care researchers, educators and policy makers in the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors.

Contact numbers

For more information, contact Linda Steele (press & media executive) or Victoria McNeill (head of corporate services) on 020 7089 6840.