Interim SCIE chief says care organisations must ‘recognise that working differently is essential’ to deliver consistent high quality amid a ‘real moment of possibility’ for reform.
Care providers and the wider social care sector must “become more comfortable with change” amid a “moment of real possibility” as “major programmes” of social care, NHS and housing reform unfold, the new interim Social Care institute of Excellence chief executive has said.
Writing in an inaugural comment article as he stepped into the role this week, Gerard Crofton-Martin called on organisations to “recognise that working differently is essential if we are to deliver consistently high‑quality outcomes for people who draw on care and support”.
This would require commissioners and providers to “ensure we are focused on the individuals’ needs, not the package of the care,” he wrote, adding that the SCIE would support the sector to navigate change by “combining robust evidence, meaningful co-production and practical support for those delivering care.”
He added that he would be “spending time in care services to keep my thinking rooted in real experiences” alongside work to shape the “national conversation on social care reform” to understand “what support makes the biggest difference, and what good looks like when it is lived rather than described”.
Mr Crofton-Martin took over as interim CEO this week following the departure of Kathryn Marsden OBE, who announced she was leaving in January after nearly six years in the role. He was previously SCIE’s Director of Transformation and Improvement and joined the organisation in 2020.
“We work directly with local authorities, providers and partners to help them implement change on the ground—and to feel more confident and prepared for what lies ahead,” he wrote in his article published on the SCIE website today.
“In doing so, we help teams develop the skills, behaviours and cultures needed to work differently: to collaborate more, learn continuously, make use of evidence, and stay focused on what truly improves outcomes for people who draw on care and support” he added.
