Free social care policy guidance and analysis, publications and resources from The King’s Fund

Social care funding has been high on the agenda since the coalition’s pledge in its programme for government that it recognised the urgency of reform.  For several years The King’s Fund, an independent charity working to improve health care in England, have been contributing to the debate over how best to meet the challenge of providing good-quality, affordable social care.

The King’s Fund’s work to improve the way health care and related social care in England is organised, funded and delivered, has resulted in numerous publications, policy guidance, and analysis covering the key issues that concern today’s social care professionals, including social care funding, health and wellbeing boards and the Health and Social Care Act.

Almost a year has elapsed since Andrew Dilnot reported his recommendations for social care reform and in his latest blog Richard Humphries, senior fellow, social care and local government at The King’s Fund, discusses whether the government are Dithering on Dilnot?

A recent conference at the Fund brought together delegates from health care, social care and the third sector to discuss the implications of the care and support White Paper. On the Fund’s website you can watch the keynote speech from Paul Burstow MP, minister of state for care services, and view presentations from Sarah Pickup, the new president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, and Simon Gillespie from the Care and Support Alliance.

Among the many hotly debated measures set out in the Health and Social Care Act one initiative remains uncontroversial: the introduction of health and wellbeing boards (HWBs). In his latest article Richard Humphries explains that this is because ‘If you look at the very complex architecture of the Health and Social Care Act, the health and wellbeing board is the only structure that brings together all the local organisations with a strategic approach to the challenges ahead.’ A conference at The King’s Fund in September will pick up this issue and look at how to make health and wellbeing boards a success.

Publications from The King’s Fund concerning health and wellbeing include a joint health and wellbeing strategy guide, and a paper assessing the ways in which local authorities have begun to develop new arrangements with their partners: Health and wellbeing boards: System leaders or talking shops? The Fund have also released a health and wellbeing boards directory which provides the details and contact information for health and wellbeing boards in England. A free monthly health and wellbeing boards alert will keep you up to date with the latest news, policy development and guidance.

The government has made it clear that better integration of care must be at the heart of the reformed health system and The King’s Fund’s programme of work on integrated care aims to promote the widespread adoption of integrated care to better meet the needs of frail older people and others with complex health and social care needs. Resources including blogs, slidepacks on the evidence base for integrated care, and videos from a recent International Summit on Integrated Care held at The King’s Fund are all available for free. There are also places available on a conference on building an integrated system of care which is being held on 18 September.

If you’re looking for information on health and social care policy and management then get in touch with the information and library service at The King’s Fund. This free service is unique and can help with literature searches and information queries online, over the phone or in person at their information centre.

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