Featured articles and opinions

Head-shot of the author, Laura Bell, Communications and Engagement Officer, National Voices Building an online hub for peer support (27 March 2019)
By Laura Bell, Communications and Engagement Officer, National Voices

Head-shot of the author, Belinda Black, CEO of Sheffcare From 'bed sores' to pressure ulcers (18 March 2019)
By Belinda Black, CEO of Sheffcare

Head-shot of the author, Alex Hoskyn, founder of the Chatty Café Scheme Cafe Society: A fresh approach (12 March 2019)
By Alex Hoskyn, founder of the Chatty Café Scheme

Head-shot of the author, Maggie Murdoch, Carers Programme Facilitator, Greater Manchester Dementia: Discussing and planning support for your loved one (12 February 2019)
By Maggie Murdoch, Carers Programme Facilitator, Greater Manchester

Head-shot of the author, Karen Dolva, CEO and Co-Founder of No Isolation The important role technology plays in our wellbeing (18 December 2018)
By Karen Dolva, CEO and Co-Founder of No Isolation

Head-shot of the author, Tony Hunter, SCIE Chief Executive Co-production isn’t just for Christmas (17 December 2018)
By Tony Hunter, SCIE Chief Executive

Head-shot of the author, Rob Walsh, Chief Executive North East Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group Operating in an increasingly complex environment: A clear focus on Place (04 December 2018)
By Rob Walsh, Chief Executive North East Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group

Head-shot of the author, Kath Sutherland, FRSA. Founder of START Ability Services and Member of SCIE’s Co-production Steering Group Getting the person at the centre of the process (27 November 2018)
By Kath Sutherland, FRSA. Founder of START Ability Services and Member of SCIE’s Co-production Steering Group

Head-shot of the author, Rachel Leslie, Project Implementation Manager, Break - Changing Young Lives Staying close and staying connected in East Anglia (13 November 2018)
By Rachel Leslie, Project Implementation Manager, Break - Changing Young Lives

Head-shot of the author, Corinne May-Chahal and Hannah Roscoe Supporting children and young people after abuse and neglect (24 October 2018)
By Corinne May-Chahal and Hannah Roscoe

The importance of effective medicines recording as part of a home care service (15 October 2018)
By Keith Lowe; Consultant, NICE Quality Standards committee member and former regulator

People-powered services in Oxfordshire (02 October 2018)
By Kate Pieroudis, SCIE Co-Production Development Manager

Strength-based approaches for children's and adults' services (19 September 2018)
By Alex Fox OBE, chief executive of Shared Lives Plus and SCIE trustee

Strength-based children's social care in Bradford (19 September 2018)
By Jim Hopkinson, Deputy Director (Children's Social Care), City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Walsall: Restorative Practice - a common-sense approach (19 September 2018)
By Isabel Vanderheeren, Transformation Lead, Children’s Services Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

Strength-based approaches in children's social care in Australia (19 September 2018)
By Vita Maiorano, The Australian Centre for Social Innovation

The Wigan Deal, children’s social care and importing and exporting innovation (19 September 2018)
By Mike Rees: Lead, Greater Manchester Children’s Social Care Innovation Spreading and Scaling Programme

East Sussex: Connecting practice leading to transformative relationships and great outcomes (19 September 2018)
By Stuart Gallimore, Director of Children's Services, East Sussex County Council

Strength-based children's social care in Stockport (19 September 2018)
By Deborah Woodcock, Director of Operations-Stockport Family and Principal Social Worker

Using playful objects for people with advanced dementia (30 August 2018)
By Professor Cathy Treadaway, Cardiff School of Art and Design

Making a difference with integrated care (26 July 2018)
By Lesley Jeavons, Director of Integration, Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group

Multi-Disciplinary Working – three years on (26 July 2018)
By Phil Wrigley, Integrated Care Commissioning Manager, NHS Islington Clinical Commissioning Group

How co-operative approaches can flourish (26 July 2018)
By James Wright, Policy Officer, Co-operatives UK (The organisation works to promote, develop and unite member-owned businesses)

A positive future for wellbeing in York – turning the tanker of health and social care (20 July 2018)
By Corporate Director of Health, Housing and Adult Social Care, City of York Council

The importance of first line managers in social work, and the challenges they face (20 July 2018)
By Anna Field, Firstline Programme Officer, Frontline

Is the welfare of children being undermined by varying thresholds for social care? (11 July 2018)
By Tim Loughton MP, former Children’s Minister and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children

Asset-based place: just do it! (19 June 2018)
By Donna Hall, Chief Executive, Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

The 100-year life: the importance of housing (19 June 2018)
By Sue Adams, CEO of Care and Repair England

The 100 Year Life – A family carer’s perspective (14 June 2018)
By Dame Philippa Russell, Vice-President, Carers UK

Why evidence matters in ending homelessness (30 May 2018)
By Francesca Albanese, Head of Research and Evaluation at Crisis

Integration and innovation and health and care (24 May 2018)
By SCIE's Ewan King, director of business development and delivery

Pioneering new approaches to generating and sharing evidence in children’s social care (04 May 2018)
By Ewan King, SCIE's director of business development and delivery

A new direction for care in Wales (13 April 2018)
By Professor Keith Moultrie, Director of the Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes University

Asset based approaches – local challenges and areas for improvement (13 April 2018)
By Lynne Bowers, health and care worker and advocate

Exciting times ahead for children's social care (12 April 2018)
By Ryan Wise, Advanced Social Work Practitioner, London Borough of Newham

Knowing me, knowing me. Synergy - A fresh look at behaviours of concern (12 April 2018)
By Richard Mills, AT-Autism and the Centre for Applied Autism Research, the University of Bath

Creating strong communities using innovation (10 April 2018)
By Steve Kay, Director of Children’s Services at North East Lincolnshire Council

The state will help, but we all need to prepare for funding our future social care needs (06 April 2018)
By Deborah Rozansky, SCIE Associate

The importance of pizza and co-production (05 April 2018)
By Lucy Milich, SCIE children’s practice development manager

The seven key principles of social care reform (28 March 2018)
By Simon Morioka, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, PPL

The importance of infection prevention in care homes (20 February 2018)
By Joanne Balmer, Senior Director of Care and Quality, Sunrise Senior Living

Innovation: scaling is in the air (13 February 2018)
By Janet Grauberg, Organisational Strategy and Learning Consultant

Delayed transfers of care (12 February 2018)
By Ric Whalley, Associate Director, Newton

Lessons from new models of care / Vanguards (09 February 2018)
By Jane Harris, Senior Consultant, Cordis Bright consultancy, advice and research

What’s the link between military intelligence and Learning Together reviews? (09 February 2018)
By Sarah Peel, SCIE's Deputy Head of Learning Together

Great dementia care - Getting to Know Me! (09 February 2018)
By Caroline Baker, Director of Dementia Care, Barchester Healthcare

Innovation: what about our customer’s WHY? (29 January 2018)
By Sara McKee, Evermore Founder & Director of Market Innovation

What the dancing carrots tell us about isolation and loneliness (24 January 2018)
By Margaret Willcox. President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and Director of Adult Social Care, Gloucestershire County Council

'Nobody to do nothing with.' Combating loneliness (24 January 2018)
By Dame Esther Rantzen DBE, Founder of Silver Line and Broadcaster

Why can’t they just join in? Isolation and people ageing without children (24 January 2018)
By Kirsty Woodard, Founder, Ageing without Children

From red bag to green paper: innovation in adult social care (10 January 2018)
By Simon Bottery, Senior Fellow, Social Care, the King’s Fund

Thinking big but starting small with a slow fix (10 January 2018)
By Samantha Clark, chief executive of the Local Area Coordination Network

Planning medicines support (10 January 2018)
By Simon Hill, regional medicines manager, Care Quality Commission

Abuse: we must find the hidden victims (10 January 2018)
By Steph Palmerone, Managing Director of Waymarks, a learning disability charity

Teach a man to fish...Sustainable whole system transformation in Thurrock (21 December 2017)
By Les Billingham, head of adult services at Thurrock Council

Strength-based practice in Lincolnshire (20 December 2017)
By Glen Garrod, executive director of adult care and community wellbeing at Lincolnshire County Council

How was intermediate care for my sister? (18 December 2017)
By Toni Foers, carer

Putting the ‘I’ back into multi-disciplinary teams (13 December 2017)
By Dr Robin Miller, deputy director of the Health Services Management Centre

Home to Decide! How Brenda benefitted (28 November 2017)
By Ann Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Hilton Nursing Partners

Hertfordshire’s Integration Framework (21 November 2017)
By Edward Knowles – Assistant Director, Health Integration (West Hertfordshire)

Expert working group: looked after children and mental health / wellbeing (06 November 2017)
By Kevin Williams, CEO, The Fostering Network

Looked after children and mental wellbeing. The role of co-production (05 November 2017)
By Chloe from SCIE's expert working group

What makes life worth living? Co-producing outcomes for the Named Social Worker project (03 November 2017)
By Linda Jackson, SCIE Associate

It's the quality of conversations that matter to social care reform (31 October 2017)
By Martin Farran, Corporate Director of Health, Housing and Adult Social Care, City of York Council

On a journey towards better integrated health and social care (30 October 2017)
By Ewan King, SCIE director of business development and delivery

"The care system failed to look after me well enough" (27 October 2017)
By A care leaver's personal experience

Why think delirium? (18 October 2017)
By Sharon Blackburn CBE, policy and communications director, National Care Forum

How to embed an innovative way to protect children (17 October 2017)
By Nasima Patel

How much do we know about the achievement of personalisation across health and social care services? (11 October 2017)
By Don Redding, Director of Policy at National Voices: the coalition of 160 charities that stands for people being in control of their health and care

Innovation in children's services (11 October 2017)
By Richard Selwyn, Former assistant director commissioning at Suffolk County Council

Adult safeguarding. SCIE's new 'highlights' report (06 October 2017)
By Hugh Constant, SCIE Practice Development Manager

Helping communities and neighbourhoods blossom (25 September 2017)
By Mick Ward, Deputy Director, Integrated Commissioning, Adults and Health, Leeds City Council and Leeds Clinical Commissioning Groups

There are challenges to creating ‘asset-based areas’ (11 September 2017)
By Mike Wright, Deputy Chief Executive, KeyRing (Service provider)

Community doesn't have to be squeezed by bureaucracy (01 August 2017)
By Alex Smith, Founder / CEO North London Cares and South London Cares

Throwing off the lanyards. Liverpool Intermediate care (28 July 2017)
By Dyane Aspinall, Director Adult Social Care and Health (interim), Liverpool City Council

Offering solutions for a system at ‘tipping point’ (27 July 2017)
By Paul Burstow, announced today as SCIE’s new chair

Unlocking community assets for better health and wellbeing (26 July 2017)
By James Sanderson, NHS England’s Director of Personalisation and Choice

Integration in North East Lincolnshire (25 July 2017)
By Rob Walsh, Chief Executive of North East Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group

“I am not a number.” Keeping local co-production personal (18 July 2017)
By Jillian Martin, Office of Social Services, Department of Health Northern Ireland

Barnet: moving from 'superhero' mode to asset-based thinking (18 July 2017)
By Mathew Kendall, Adults and Communities Director, London Borough of Barnet

Making the most of our neighbourhoods in Oldham (17 July 2017)
By Karyn Kirkpatrick, CEO KeyRing

Taking an asset-based approach to health and care in Greater Manchester (17 July 2017)
By Jon Rouse, Chief Officer of the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership

Community navigators in Cambridgeshire (17 July 2017)
By Sunny Singh, Strategic Development Manager, Practice & Safeguarding, Cambridgeshire County Council

Social prescribing can be life-changing - Herts Valley (17 July 2017)
By Tim Anfilogoff, Head of Community Resilience, Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group

Local Area Coordination – partnerships in many guises in York (17 July 2017)
By the York team and the Local Area Coordination Network (CEO Samantha Clark)

Co-production 'pokes the bear' in Northern Ireland (17 July 2017)
By Deirdre McCloskey, Project Coordinator, Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership

York has the potential to become a truly asset-based place (17 July 2017)
By Martin Farran, Corporate Director of Health, Housing and Adult Social Care, City of York Council

How to keep your amazing staff and turn around the doubters (06 July 2017)
By Christine Edwards-Daem, CEO-Kent Autistic Trust

We need to start with people, not organisations (04 July 2017)
By Ewan King, SCIE’s director of business development and delivery

Constructive conversations: real and meaningful engagement with citizens (31 May 2017)
By Lord Victor Adebowale and Dr Henry Kippin, Chairman and Chief Executive of Collaborate CIC, a social consultancy

Care and integration: our journey to the Doncaster vision (22 May 2017)
By Jackie Pederson, Chief Officer, Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group

Reducing delayed transfers of care in Haringey (17 May 2017)
By John Everson, Assistant Director, Adult Social Services, Haringey Council

My data, my care (11 May 2017)
By Vic Rayner, Executive Director, National Care Forum

The total transformation of care and support (08 May 2017)
By Ewan King, SCIE director of business development and delivery

Delayed transfers of care: not to be tackled in isolation (04 May 2017)
By Richard Humphries, Senior Fellow, Policy, the King's Fund

Integration and the Better Care Fund: news from West Sussex (25 April 2017)
By Rachel-Louise Hughes, coordinator, West Sussex Better Care Fund

Hospital discharges: tackling the issue in Wigan (19 April 2017)
By Rebecca Murphy, Healthier Wigan Partnership Director

Integrating health and social care – the blend of the best (31 March 2017)
By David Pearson CBE, Corporate Director, Adult Social Care Health and Public Protection and Deputy Chief Executive, Nottinghamshire County Council

Homecare: A different approach (15 March 2017)
By Sian Lockwood, CEO of Community Catalysts

A Five Year Forward View for social care (13 March 2017)
By Toby Irving, senior consultant at SCIE partners PPL

Improving health and wellbeing: different and unique relationships (09 March 2017)
By Brian Goodwin, Community Services Manager on behalf of the Community Agents Essex

Tackling isolation: outdoor activities and volunteering need to be central to ‘place-based’ health approaches (07 March 2017)
By Alex Kenmure, Head of Business Development, GoodGym

Learning difficulties: living a good independent life (24 February 2017)
By Cecilia Mercer, SCIE Co-production Support Assistant

Reimagining home care (06 February 2017)
By Helen Sanderson, CEO of Helen Sanderson Associates

Reducing admissions to hospital through Warm at Home scheme (03 February 2017)
By Jan Gilbertson, Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at the University of Sheffield Hallam

Looked after children and mental health. Making things happen, not creating a dust-gathering policy document. (10 January 2017)
By Alison O’Sullivan, co-chair expert group mental health children in care.

Child sexual exploitation: Everyone can help address it (06 January 2017)
By Sheila Taylor, Chief Executive, NWG Network

The gift of friendship is the most precious to those facing Christmas alone (19 December 2016)
By Hannah Gurney, Friends of the Elderly

Charming and persistent organisation seeks similar relationship (16 December 2016)
By David Archibald, SCIE trustee

Why I think everyone should do deafblind training (16 December 2016)
By Jo Virgo, occupational therapist for adult social care.

Health and wellbeing. Ten actions to put people and communities at the heart of the action (15 December 2016)
By Suzanne Wood, Improvement Fellow, The Health Foundation

Citizens Advice - Care Provider (28 November 2016)
By Claire Driffield, Health and Care Lead at National Citizens Advice

Community enterprises – building capacity in Worcestershire (24 November 2016)
By Sian Lockwood, Community Catalysts

Social prescribing: Making it a reality for everyone (24 November 2016)
By Kate Langford, Programme Lead: Health and Social Care, Innovation Unit

Personalisation: Art for everyone’s sake (22 November 2016)
By Vic Rayner, Executive Director, National Care Forum

Child neglect. Working together to tackle it (22 November 2016)
By Lucy Milich, SCIE Children’s Practice Development Manager

Female genital mutilation – a multi-agency response (21 November 2016)
By Inspector Allen Davis – Project Azure / Metropolitan Police Service

To find good employees, service users need to be involved in recruitment and training (18 November 2016)
By Ewan King, SCIE's director of business development and delivery

Recruitment: Radical solutions to the ageing ‘care crisis’ (17 November 2016)
By John Craig, Chief Executive, Care City

Looking to communities to support wellbeing (10 November 2016)
By Total transformation of care blog by Mark Swift, founder of Wellbeing Enterprises.

Personalisation in residential care: Beyond the Obvious (10 November 2016)
By Rich Watts, integrated personal commissioning advisor

Local area co-ordination: supporting transformation in Derby (10 November 2016)
By Total transformation of care blog by Brian Frisby, Service Director – Delivering Differently, People Services Directorate, Derby City Council

Social worker as relationship builder (03 November 2016)
By Lizzie Insall, Programme Lead (Local Public Services), Innovation Unit & Carmen Colomina, Practice Development Manager, SCIE

The red and white striped cane. Why being deafblind is a complex disability (03 November 2016)
By Helena Little, freelance consultant and deafblind assessor

Loneliness – how the smallest intervention can transform people’s lives (02 November 2016)
By Mike Adamson, Chief Executive, British Red Cross

Managing demand in health and social care through the Wigan Deal (01 November 2016)
By Donna Hall, CBE, Chief Executive Wigan Council

How our service went from a rating of inadequate to good (31 October 2016)
By Steve Allen, Chief Executive of Friends of the Elderly

How better information and technology can support social work (26 October 2016)
By Mark Nicholas, Strategic Account Manager, Social Care, NHS Digital

Will care home improvement plans work? (24 October 2016)
By SCIE’s Ewan King, director of business development and delivery

Building the social care workforce of the future in East London (14 October 2016)
By Corporate Partnerships Manager, Jasmine Morris; Bromley by Bow Centre

Person centred approaches to dementia care (12 October 2016)
By Pamela Holmes, SCIE Practice Development Manager

Unconscious bias isn't just somebody else's problem; it’s also yours (03 October 2016)
By Ossie Stuart, SCIE trustee & equality and diversity consultant

How working together can save money for the NHS each year and improve quality of life for patients (22 September 2016)
By Michelle Turton, Housing Needs Manager Mansfield District Council

Mental Health: From being under pressure to developing new models of care (21 September 2016)
By Rachael Byrne, Executive Director of Care & Support at Home Group

Co-production: The way forward (14 September 2016)
By Pete Fleischmann, SCIE's Head of Co-Production

Admission impossible? Understanding and reducing the emergency hospital admissions of older people (08 September 2016)
By Jon Glasby and Rosemary Littlechild - University of Birmingham

Admission impossible? (08 September 2016)
By Jon Glasby and Rosemary Littlechild (pictured) - University of Birmingham

The importance of carers knowing likes and dislikes: Person-centred dementia care. (17 August 2016)
By Pamela Holmes, SCIE practice development manager

SCIE receives Investors in People Silver award in recognition of ‘remarkable’ progress (05 August 2016)
By SCIE’s chair, Lord Michael Bichard

Could Constructive Conversations make the tough year ahead for the NHS a little easier? (03 August 2016)
By Ewan King, Director of business development and delivery, SCIE

Dual sensory loss: The importance of early specialist assessment (25 July 2016)
By Bernard Quinn, Director of Development, In Good Hands

Older people and long-term conditions. Implementing the NICE guidelines (22 July 2016)
By Pauline Shaw, Director of Care & Service Development, The Royal Star & Garter Homes.

How I see co-production (21 July 2016)
By Alex Fox, CEO of Shared Lives Plus and SCIE trustee

Getting it right together. Mental health and wellbeing for people living with mental distress. (01 July 2016)
By Alison Faulkner, Independent Service User Consultant.

My vision for child and family social work (28 June 2016)
By Isabelle Trowler, Chief Social Worker for England (Children & Families)

How to inspire credible positive ideas in care homes (28 June 2016)
By Care home owner George Coxon on the Devon Care Kite Mark

'We're not carers but we care' - Call and Check scheme (27 June 2016)
By Natasha Andrews, Research Analyst

Improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing of looked-after children: Can you help make a difference? (21 June 2016)
By Alison O'Sullivan, Co-chair of the looked-after children and mental health expert group

Books can make us better...the role of bibliotherapy in prevention (20 June 2016)
By Jennifer Collieson, SCIE's Senior Information Specialist and Prevention Lead

Carers Week and the importance of research (06 June 2016)
By Jenny Collieson, SCIE's Senior Information Specialist & Prevention Library Project Lead

Child protection reviews in Scotland (02 June 2016)
By Sarah Peel, SCIE's Deputy Head of Learning Together

Better understanding of home adaptations can help improve later life (10 May 2016)
By Dr Anna Dixon, Chief Executive, the Centre for Ageing Better

‘Not the obvious pub discussion’. Practical support – planning for end of life care (09 May 2016)
By Pamela Holmes, SCIE Practice Development Manager

Co-production Week in July: because we’re not puppets on a string (15 April 2016)
By SCIE's Michael Turner, Co-production support manager

Adult social workers are using the assets within communities to improve lives (04 April 2016)
By Lyn Romeo, chief social worker for adults at the Department of Health

Dementia through the eyes of women (31 March 2016)
By Nada Savitch, Director, Innovations in Dementia

Integration health and social care in Hertfordshire (30 March 2016)
By Iain Macbeath, Director of Health and Community Services, Hertfordshire County Council

Getting 'the call' (29 March 2016)
By SCIE’s Information Specialist Sue Jardine, whose mother has dementia

Supporting children and young people with life shortening conditions - & their families (18 March 2016)
By Terry Moran, chair of ‘Together for Short Lives and SCIE trustee

Why I jumped at the chance of joining a guideline committee (18 March 2016)
By Kathie Drinan, independent paediatric physiotherapist at Therapy for Children UK

Why I believe that digital arts are vital for people who use services (16 March 2016)
By Lord Michael Bichard, SCIE chair

What kind of workforce do we need for 21st Century social care? (17 February 2016)
By Catherine Needham, University of Birmingham (Health Services Management Centre Reader in Public Policy and Public Management)

A look at young people's services (15 February 2016)
By Alison O’Sullivan. President, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS)

Post-diagnostic dementia care (15 February 2016)
By Alistair Burns, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, University of Manchester and National Clinical Director for Dementia, NHS England.

The Care Act can seem overly complex – but you can make it simpler (10 February 2016)
By SCIE's Ewan King, director of business development and delivery

Leadership, co-production and a Henry Wordsworth Longfellow poem (04 January 2016)
By Tina Coldham, SCIE trustee and chair of SCIE’s Co-Production Network and Michael Turner, SCIE Co-production Support Manager

Frank’s journey: How a new guideline can help staff improve experience of transfer of care from home to hospital to home (09 December 2015)
By Dr Olivier Gaillemin, Consultant Physician in Acute Medicine, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

Social care support for refugees and asylum seekers (08 December 2015)
By SCIE’s Isabel Quilter with advice for care staff on supporting refugees and asylum seekers

A matter of interpretation (25 November 2015)
By Alison Seabrooke, Chief Executive of the Community Development Foundation

Carers Rights Day (20 November 2015)
By SCIE's chief executive, Tony Hunter

Co-production – the missing link in integration (18 November 2015)
By Rob Greig, chief executive, the National Development Team for Inclusion

Blog from an outstanding provider (09 November 2015)
By Dan Gower-Smith, Regional Manager, Avenues South East Services

My time on the social care frontline; and at SCIE (28 October 2015)
By Dave Probert, personal assistant to SCIE directors

Because personalisation isn't easy... (21 October 2015)

Why the offside rule is important to the 89-year-old I support: my life as a home care worker (15 October 2015)

Integration: it’s really happening, and in a place near you (07 October 2015)

Realising the value: what matters most to people? (22 September 2015)

Building community capacity (17 September 2015)
By Caroline Speirs, Think Local Act Personal

Dementia peer support: It’s all about tea parties and 'social return on investment' methodology (17 September 2015)

Is health and care transformation possible? And, if so, what is needed to make this happen? (14 September 2015)