Social care inequities hub launched by SCIE

A new online resource hub aims to bring together research, data, and evidence from practice to help stakeholders understand and address inequities in social care.

The Care Equity Evidence Hub, launched by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), will curate research, case studies and data to show how inequities arise across services, settings and places. 

SCIE states that access, experiences, and outcomes in social care vary among people, but the evidence to understand and address these differences is often fragmented, hard to find, and written in ways that limit its practical use. These barriers hinder policymakers and practitioners from using evidence effectively.

The Hub therefore supports policy, practice and service design by appraising and summarising published evidence from across research, data and practice. By presenting it in an accessible way and organising it around sector priorities, SCIE hopes the Hub makes it easier to find and apply evidence in real-world decision-making.

Inequities in social care are persistent

Gerard Crofton-Martin, Interim Chief Executive at SCIE, said: “No one should receive worse care, or miss out on care, because of who they are, where they live, or their circumstances. Yet inequities in social care remain a persistent and widely recognised challenge—from timely, personalised support that enables independence and dignity, to long waiting lists, high eligibility thresholds and unmet basic needs.

“The evidence on care equity has often been fragmented and difficult for social care professionals to access and apply. This creates a gap between what we know and what we can do. This new resource for the sector supports people to quickly find, understand, and apply evidence in ways that reflect the realities of practice.

“By helping us better understand where inequities occur, how they affect different communities and what approaches may help address them, it takes us a step closer to creating a fairer system that responds to people’s varied circumstances—and enables them to live fulfilling lives.”

Voices of lived experience

Evidence in the Hub is organised across six key themes: workforce, underserved populations, neighbourhood health, financial inequities, geographical inequities, and the use of technology in care.

It was shaped through engagement with organisations and individuals across the social care sector—including policymakers, commissioners, providers, researchers, people who draw on care and support, and unpaid carers.

Patrick Wood, Chair of SCIE’s Co-production Steering Group, who has served in an advisory role to the design and direction of the Hub, said:  “Equity in social care is a vital issue for people who access care and support, and the Evidence Hub will contribute to developing policies, commissioning, and practice that result in people with lived experience receiving the services and support they want and need.

“The voices of people with lived experience have been central in shaping the Evidence Hub, and we have worked alongside professionals from a range of different backgrounds on an equitable basis to ensure that this resource will be useful for everyone concerned with social care.”

Alison Bloomer

Alison Bloomer is Editor of Learning Disability Today.

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