Community Integrated Care welcomes European delegation

Community Integrated Care was proud to this week welcome an international delegation of leaders from European social care providers and the Department of Health’s Director of People, Communities and Local Government – Dr Glen Mason, for a showcase of its approach to community-based support.

The international group were part of Brüsseler Kreis, a continental network of thirteen care providers from central Europe. They were visiting the UK as part of a three day study tour and information exchange, which has been facilitated by the National Care Forum – a representative body for care providers in Britain.

The delegation visited a Community Integrated Care supported living service in Salford on Thursday (2^nd October), which supports four people with learning disabilities. The charity became the provider of this service at the start of this year, following a transfer of eleven services to it by Salford City Council.

Since becoming part of Community Integrated Care, these services have received a range of investment to be modernised and improved. They now apply person-centred practices, such as using One Page-Profiles to enable tenants to pursue their life goals and recruit colleagues who share common interests with the people they support. They have also applied the principles of Just Enough Support to promote tenant’s independence by identifying creative alternatives to paid support.

As part of their visit, the delegates were given a tour by Rose, a tenant at the service, who proudly told them about how she lives independently and enjoys having her own home. Community Integrated Care’s Director of Care Services and Outcomes, Sue McLean, and North West Regional Director, Debbie Lanceley, also shared their insight with the group, debating key issues for the UK social care sector. 

Sue McLean says, “In a sector as challenging and dynamic as social care, it is vital that care providers, people who access support and leaders of government bodies, can come together and share their collective insight; this was at the core of the visit by the Brüsseler Kreis delegation. We held productive discussions with the group and were able learn a lot from one another.”

She continues, “This type of cross-continent exchange can only help to inspire better care across Europe. We would like to thank the National Care Forum, who led this project, for helping us to be part of this incredible initiative.”