Our offer to you

Our collective offer to support collaborative working between health and adult social care.

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The national partner organisations involved in developing this resource have a range of offers and resources to support local systems with collaborative work to improve quality. We have listed links to each of these below:

  • NICE offers a collection of evidence based guidance and standards mapped against key STP priority workstreams.
  • Skills for Care offers a range of support with leadership and workforce development. This includes accessing social care workforce data, workforce planning, support delivering the Enhanced Health in Care Home framework and further bespoke solutions.
  • The Care Provider Alliance (CPA) brings together the main national associations representing independent and voluntary adult social care providers in England. The CPA offers STPs practical support and advice to engage with care providers in their area.
  • NHS England offers access to a range of support for integrated working between health and social care and is currently developing Integrating Better resources for local systems. Register to access relevant information from the Future NHS Collaboration Platform.
  • The Local Government Association (LGA) provides support for social care, integration and health, as well as supporting the transforming care programme for people with learning disabilities or autism (co-produced and delivered with the Association of Directors of Adults Social Services).
  • Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) offers a range of publications which provide information on key opportunities including integration.
  • The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has reviewed health and social care systems in 20 local areas. Their final report sets out findings from all 20 reviews.
  • The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) offers a range of resources to support integrated working between health and social care.
  • Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) partnership works to promote personalisation across social care, health and housing by sharing learning and supporting innovation through networks, events and resources.
  • The National Dignity Council offers a host of resources, including 10 Dignity Do’s – a simple checklist of values and actions that services can use to promote dignity in care.

Collaborating with kindness, respect and compassion. Jan Burns MBE, chair of the National Dignity Council, explains how these principles can support us all to work smarter together by developing robust collaborative relationships across health and social care.

Quality Matters priority 5 partners are planning to run 2 national workshops later this year in conjunction with NHS England. They'll offer practical support around collaborative working between health and adult social care at a local level. We'll update this resource with dates and venues as soon as they're known. If you would be interested in being notified with details of the events please email us.

Other useful links:

  • The Care Association Alliance website contains links to local care associations in England. Visit the website to find out if your area has an existing alliance of local care providers.
  • Quality Matters is a commitment to improving the quality of adult social care, supported by a range of partner organisations.

This resource supports the delivery of Quality Matters priority 5 shared focus areas for improvement which recognises the importance of health and social care working effectively together.

Tell us about your local work

If this resource has inspired you to take your next step in developing collaborative relationships between health and social care, please email qualitymatters@nice.org.uk.

We'll help raise the profile of your local collaborative work and share your experiences with the Quality Matters board.

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Download elements of this resource

Animation (YouTube)

Lincolnshire STP video (YouTube)

Full 'Unlocking capacity: smarter together' resource (PDF)

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Case study: Dudley (PDF)
Case study: Frimley (PDF)
Case study: Isle of Wight (PDF)
Case study: Lincolnshire (PDF)
Case study: Manchester (PDF)
Case study: Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (PDF)
Case study: Surrey (PDF)

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Where next?

Case studies

Highlights from 7 local areas, each showing different aspects of collaboration between health and the adult social care sector.

Collaboration in practice

High level steps that support collaborative working on a big or small scale.

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