Showcasing Best Practice Across Our Services

From Scottish parliamentary visits ahead of the election, to Trustee tours across Stockport, our charity is using the strength of our services to drive real change.

As a charity with Influence as a core pillar of our strategy, we don’t just deliver outstanding support – we use evidence, insights and lived experience from our services to shape a better future for social care. One of the most powerful ways we do this is by opening our doors to MPs, MSPs and sector leaders, letting the quality of our work speak for itself.

Inspiring Change in Huntly

Ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections, we were delighted to welcome Alex Burnett MSP for Aberdeenshire West and Harriet Cross MP for Gordon & Buchan to our Inspire…By service in Huntly on Friday 9th April.

During the visit, discussions covered:

• The funding challenges facing the sector, and the need for greater transparency in how social care is resourced
• NHS pressures, and the vital role the social care sector can play in relieving them
• Innovative solutions and alternative models of support, including Technology Enabled Care (TEC)
• The importance of valuing the social care workforce to tackle recruitment and retention

The visit was a valuable opportunity to demonstrate not only what outstanding, person-centred support looks like in practice, but also to put the case directly to Scottish parliamentary candidates for sustainable, fair investment in the sector.

Putting the Unfair to Care Report Front and Centre

On Friday 13th March, we welcomed Stephen Flynn MP for Aberdeen South to our Inspire…By charity shop in Aberdeen for an open and wide-ranging conversation about the pressures facing Scotland’s social care sector.

Conversations focused on our Unfair to Care report, the social care funding gap, rising operational pressures, and the impact of disability benefits on people accessing support.

Championing Independence and Dignity in Portsmouth

Our policy and influence work extends well beyond Scotland. On Friday 6th March, we were pleased to welcome Amanda Martin MP for Portsmouth North to our Temple Court supported living service in Portsmouth.

Amanda spent time with colleagues and the people we support, seeing first-hand the vital role the team plays in enabling people to live with independence, dignity and choice, and she expressed a strong commitment to helping address the challenges facing social care.

Influence that extends beyond UK borders

On 24th February, our Westminster service welcomed representatives from SG Enable – Singapore’s national agency for disability and inclusion – for a day of shared learning focused on person-centred care. The visit saw Service Leader James Kerrison present our approach to person-centred support, safeguarding, and frameworks including the Mental Capacity Act, before the delegation toured the service and met some of the people we support.

The visit concluded with an agreement to stay connected and continue exploring shared learning opportunities. Head of Operations Caroline Robins reflected: “Their interest in learning from UK practice reflects a real commitment to improving outcomes for people with disabilities in Singapore. We were proud to showcase our approach to an international organisation who shares our values around dignity, independence and high-quality support.”

Trustee Visits Across Stockport

Best practice isn’t only something we demonstrate to policymakers. We are equally committed to ensuring our own Trustees have the opportunity to witness the incredible work our teams do every day.

On Tuesday 24th March, we were delighted to welcome Trustees Keith Rhodes and Kathryn Marsden for a full-day visit to four of our services across Stockport – taking in a range of settings from supported living to care homes.

The day gave Keith and Kathryn a genuine insight into the dedication and passion of our colleagues, and the real difference that consistent, high-quality support makes in people’s lives and within local communities.

By sharing best practice with decision-makers at every level, we are committed to shaping a social care system that is fair, sustainable and truly centred on the people who rely on it.