We came through the unprecedented COVID challenge within our sector, one that none of us had any prior experience of managing and one that put an incredible amount of pressure and responsibility on our carers, nurses, managers, and others. While one positive by-product of this has led to a much better understanding of the vital role social care providers play in local health and care systems and community resilience as a whole (in terms of public perception and media interest), the cost in terms of the toll on our front-line staff and the sustainability of our organisation and companies has been immense.

We now are dealing with the cost of living and workforce challenge. Now is the time we must stress upon all our partners that a new deal for social care is required more than ever. We need to build on the good will toward the sector and turn it into concrete action and improvements, both in the way we are seen and interact with public sector bodies, how we are funded and how our staff are recognised and rewarded. I genuinely believe that this ideal, for which we have been lobbying for years, is now within touching distance and I encourage providers large and small to get involved. This could be within your own local authority area, or on the wider Greater Manchester basis and will help shape our interactions with our commissioning colleagues to ensure we build consistency, best practice, and a strong partnership ethos across Greater Manchester.

I hope you’ll join us on this journey.

Jake Rollin. Chair.

As a sector we need to ensure our involvement in the design and shaping of care services for the future, ensuring that fees reflect actual costs and support our ambitions to develop and retain, a highly skilled workforce for the future, that gets the recognition it deserves.Being part of the network supports these strategic aims and ensures that the voice of the independent care sector is both heard and valued.