SDS Network England

The Self-Directed Support Network England is a new network for health and social care commissioners, and providers to share and explore best practice in market shaping, delivering and commissioning personalised social care services. It is part of a pre-existing international network of leaders in self-directed support.

The network provides commissioners, operational teams and service providers with learning opportunities, peer-led problem solving and access to sector specialists and other resources. The network is being convened by Dr Simon Duffy from Citizen Network Research and Chris Watson from Self Directed Futures who is the SDS Network England Programme Development Lead and Chair.

You're welcome to join us: please sign up using this form or get in touch with Chris Watson by email at: chris.watson@selfdirectedfutures.co.uk

Topics which will be covered over the next 12 months include:

Commissioning for Individual Service Funds (Chair - Chris Watson, Self Directed Futures)
Individual Service Funds for Social Workers (Chair - Wendy Chituri, Troika)
Individual Service Funds for Service Providers (Chair - Alex Goff, Darwin Care)
Innovative Models of Neighbourhood Care (Chair - Dr Simon Duffy, Citizen Network)
Building Bridges (transforming care for people with learning disabilities and autistic
people) (Chair - Ashleigh Fox, LD Network)
Innovations in Direct Payments for Children (Chair - Ali Hiscox, Bristol City Council)

The chairs for the meetings are drawn from across the sector and represent organisations across a range of current services that are linked to improving access to Self-Directed Support. Meetings are designed to provide an opportunity for attendees to hear about emerging service and commissioning innovations and to share and discuss unique local challenges in a supportive environment. We are open to new ideas and encourage members of the network to put forward suggestions for meeting content and for developing new communities of practice.

The network is still growing and regularly includes commissioners from the following councils:

BCP Council
Bexley Council
Bristol City Council
Brighton & Hove Council
Buckinghamshire County Council
Central Bedfordshire Council
Cambridge City Council
Darlington Borough Council
Devon County Council
Dorset Council
Doncaster Council
Dudley Council
Essex County Council
East Riding of Yorkshire
Halton Borough Council
Hertfordshire County Council
Isle of Wight Council
Islington Council
Kent County Council
Lancashire County Council
Leeds City Council
Luton Council
Medway Council
Newcastle City Council
Norfolk County Council
North Yorkshire Council
Nottingham City Council
Nottingham County Council
Oldham Council
Peterborough Council
Plymouth City Council
Royal Borough of Greenwich Council
Sheffield City Council
Somerset Council
South Gloucestershire Council
Stoke Council
Suffolk County Council
Swindon Borough Council
Wakefield Council
Warwickshire County Council
Wolverhampton Council
West Sussex Council

In addition the following support provider organisations are also part of the network:

Action Disability Kensington and Chelsea
Aldingbourne Trust
Aspire Support Ltd
Choice Support
Darwin Care
Disability North
Dimensions
Essex Dementia Care
Grace Eyre
Global Wave
Hamelin Trust
Idirect Independent Living
Independence Project
Independent Lives
Individual Support Solutions
Keyring
Leading Lives
LDA Care
Maplewood
Mae & Mitchell Bespoke Management
Mencap
My Life Choice
Positive Support For You
PBS4
People Places Lives
Space Inclusive
St Helena
Stepping Stones Services
Support Solutions Greenwich
Thera SW
Together-UK
Troika
Vibrance
We are Beams
You First CIC