
The organisations that make up Social Care
Social care encompasses a diverse range of organisations, government bodies, and stakeholders, all working together to support individuals in need of care. This complex network ensures that adults and children with physical, sensory, or learning disabilities, those with mental ill-health, older people, and unpaid carers receive the assistance and services they require.
- Central and local government
- Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
- HSC Public Health Agency – is the publicly funded healthcare system in Northern Ireland
- 153 local authorities
- Department for Education (DfE) – responsibilities include apprenticeships and wider skills in England
- Ministry of housing
- Communities and local government
- Home Office – jobs include issuing visas for workers to come to the UK
- Department for work and pensions (DWP) – jobs include arranging benefits for those with a disability or ill health
- Skills for Care
- This is a membership organisation that helps employers and adult social care organisations in England with workforce development and planning.
- National trade organisations represented by the Care Provider Alliance
- There are 11 national bodies who represent providers of support to adults with physical, sensory or learning disabilities, people with mental ill-health and older people.
- These members cover 10,000 organisations, employing 600,000 staff and support around 1 million people
- 20,600 care providers
- Direct provision of care services.
- Unions
Examples are:
- GMB for all workers
- Unison, the UK’s largest union, representing staff who provide a public service (in private and public sector). The membership from adult social care is around 200,000 people.
Both of these have played a part in advocating for a national fair pay agreement for social care
- Organisations of people with lived experience and carer organisations
- Think Local Act Personal – a partnership of people and organisations aiming to improve health and social care by making it more personal leading to better quality of life for people
- Carers UK – their aim is to listen, give advice and guidance, champion rights and support the 5.7 million carers across the UK
- Social Care Futures – people powered movement looking to improve the future of social care.
- Carers Trust – operates the largest UK-wide network of local carer organisations (130). These organisations support unpaid carers with information and advice specific to their region
- 51(council area) local care associations represented by the Care Association Alliance.
- These 51 represent 7000 care providers
- They inform national policy by sharing local trends and best practice, for those who rely on their services
- 42 Integrated care systems
- Partnerships that bring together the NHS, councils, the voluntary sector and other organisations in geographical areas. By working together, it is hoped services will be improved resulting in better outcomes for those in need.
- Regulators
These include:
- CQC – regulates all health and social care services in England ensuring the quality and safety of care in hospitals, dentists, ambulances, and care homes, and the care given in people’s own homes.
- Social Work England – It sets standards for social workers, holds a register, quality assures education and investigates complaints.
- Nursing and midwifery Council – They set the standards for nurses and midwives, hold a register, quality assure education and investigate complaints.
- Health and Care Professions Council -they regulate health, psychological and care professionals with the aim of keeping the public safe.
- Care Workers
Organisations representing care workers include:
- The Care Workers Charity – to advance the financial, professional and mental well-being of social care workers
- National Association of Care and Support Workers are an independent social care stakeholder and professional body, that advocates and provides a platform for care and support workers to have a voice and promote for recognition and value of their work in this sector.
(Source: A Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care in England, Skills for Care)