The Social Care Institute for Excellence has been told by service users that it should lead by example and ensure that users and carers participate fully in its work.

This was among messages received by the institute during its listening exercise earlier this year, the results of which have now been published. 

Many users said that services were not designed around the needs of users and carers, and that Scie should play a lead role in changing this.

Respondents also told the institute that it should improve communication in the social care sector, both face-to-face and remotely. Ideas for doing so included practitioner networks, making contacts available and providing databases of services.

It was agreed that Scie could provide access to a range of resources for users, carers and practitioners.

Service users and social care practitioners agreed that Scie should make knowledge of good practice and research available to those in the field. Various methods for disseminating information were suggested including e-mail, chat lines and conferences. However, there were concerns that Scie was being asked to take on too much.

Some professionals suggested that Scie should develop national standards and undertake benchmarking and auditing. Others wanted Scie to act as a lobby group and put pressure on the government.

The listening exercise took place between February and July this year with the aim of finding out what people believed Scie’s priorities should be. Service users and those involved in social care were able to convey their views to Scie staff at regional workshop days and via the Scie and Community Care websites.