Lewis: social care needs to lose victim mentality

New care services minister Ivan Lewis spelled out his credentials to bring social care “from the margins to the mainstream” in a speech to Community Care Live today.

Lewis, who has been in the job for just 12 days, cited his career in social care charities before entering parliament, his time chairing Bury Council’s social services committee and his ministerial record.

He claimed that as skills minister at the Department for Education and Skills he had helped transform it from the “Cinderella of the department” to a top government priority.

Lewis added: “Social care’s position in the Department of Health is very similar to that of skills in the DfES and I’m convinced we can change it.”

However he said social care needed to get rid of a victim mentality if it was to raise its status.

Lewis promised that the health and social care white paper would be delivered in partnership with frontline staff, saying this was crucial to its success.

He also announced the publication of guidance, drawn up by the Social Care Institute of Excellence, to help care providers make referrals to the Protection of Vulnerable Adults List.

Following his speech, Lewis presented Community Care’s local social care champion awards, which are designed to reward staff who best exemplify social care’s values.

The winners were North Essex Mental Health Partnership and South Essex Service Users’ Research Group.

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