Sustainable social care programme
SCIE has led the way in promoting sustainable development across social care and is now collaborating with the Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) to share learning between the health and care sectors for mutual benefit. Following extensive engagement and with SCIE's support, the SDU's remit now encompasses the whole health, public health and social care system. SCIE contributed to the development of the SDU's national Sustainable development strategy for the NHS, public health and social care system 2014–2020 which features good practice from social care and recommendations for further action.
Through its Sustainable Social Care programme (2009–12), SCIE demonstrated how to embed a balanced approach to social, economic and environmental factors in the commissioning and delivery of adult social care. This included specific consideration of climate change because of its impacts on services and people who use them. The programme was funded by the Department of Health.
The programme:
- showed how sustainable development can help deliver adult social care, with resilient communities and independent citizens
- enabled local service improvements, putting strong emphasis on prevention and partnership, and a clear focus on outcomes
- provided guidance and practical resources for the sector, which can be found on SCIE and SDU websites.
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What is sustainable development?
Being sustainable includes thinking about future as well as present generations.
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Sustainable development and social care
Social care is affected by the major social, economic and environmental challenges of our time.
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Climate change
Climate change is already having an impact on vulnerable groups of people.
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Health and wellbeing boards
Achieving better health and social care outcomes, by using sustainable development principles.
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Case study - Bristol
Read about how Bristol City Council is mainstreaming sustainable care.
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Resources
Resources in this section will help social care organisations to bring sustainability into practice.
The Sustainable Development Strategy for the Health and Social Care System 2014–2020
This first whole-system strategy describes the vision for a sustainable health and care system by reducing carbon emissions, protecting natural resources, preparing communities for extreme weather events and promoting healthy lifestyles and environments. It describes the opportunities to reduce our environmental impacts, improve our natural environment, increase readiness for changing times and climates and strengthen social cohesion. The main strategy is supported by eight modules providing further detail including implementation guidance.