Care equity panel will examine where access to support breaks down

The Social Care Institute for Excellence and Think Local Act Personal will discuss barriers to fair access to care at the National Children and Adult Services Conference on Friday 13 November 2026. The session is scheduled for 09:15 to 10:15 in room 2F. The panel brings together people with lived experience and representatives from the adult social care sector, including the Care Quality Commission and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services. SCIE announcement · Conference programme

Look at the steps before a service starts

One question for providers is where people experience difficulty between first contact and receiving support. A team could pick one route into its service and trace how someone finds it, makes contact, receives a response and learns what happens next. Check where the process depends on a phone call during working hours, a form in a single format or a family member being available to help.

Ask people who have used the route what helped and where they had to repeat information or wait for an answer. Staff may see a process as complete once a referral has been passed on. The person seeking support may still be unsure who is responsible for responding.

Check whether a change reaches the intended people

Choose one barrier the service can address and agree how to review the result. If a team changes how it acknowledges referrals, for example, it can check whether people understand the next step and can reach the right contact. Share recurring problems that depend on several organisations with the relevant partners through the usual channels.

Featured image is an AI-generated illustration.