Creativity can turn the mundane into inspirational care
November 2018 · Editor: David Burt
Care England chief says creativity can turn ‘the mundane into inspirational care’
14-Nov-18
Article By: Angeline Albert
“Changing the mundane to the inspirational… is what lies at the cornerstone of good quality care” said Martin Green, the chief executive of Care England, in an ITN programme called ‘Creativity in Care’.
Launched at Care England’s annual conference ‘Logging on’ in London on 14 November, the programme features Martin Green talking to newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, about how creative solutions can be found to address challenges facing the care sector.
‘Creativity in Care’ produced by ITN Productions, highlights how creative thinking when it comes to funding, could address some of social care’s issues. The programme is part of a wider campaign to find new solutions to social care’s long-standing issues.
People in care ‘are the same as us’
When asked by Natasha Kaplinsky how Care England would introduce more creativity into care, Martin Green said: “Well, I think the essence of care is about being creative and responding to individual needs. It’s really important people use their imagination…and co-produce things with people who use services.
“We should all remember how important things like arts and music and going to performance and things like that are important to us as individuals. That doesn’t stop just because we get older or frail or we might have a learning disability.
“We need to remember people in care services are exactly the same as us. They need to have things in their lives… that are about changing the mundane into the inspirational – those are the things that have to be the cornerstone of good care.“
‘Got to have a difficult conversation’ with the public
On the subject of the social care green paper, he said: “We’re expecting to hear that the green paper will be published by the end of the year, but it has been significantly delayed.
“I think it’s part of a political classes inertia that they don’t want to face up to the fact that they’ve got to find a long-term solution.
“They’ve also got to have a difficult conversation with the general public about which bits of care will be paid for by the state and which bits will be paid for by the individual.
“I want a green paper that will set out a vision but will also set out a route map for delivery”.
Mr Green also talked about reclaiming the word ‘integration’ in relation to NHS and social care as promoted by the government. “Real integration is about how people experience a service.
“So it doesn’t matter whether it’s the NHS …or social care providing it or a private provider“… the individual must not see “the joins where services meet one another”.
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