New evidence hub launched to tackle persistent inequities in social care

A new national resource designed to help address inequalities in social care has been launched by the Social Care Institute for Excellence.

The Care Equity Evidence Hub, launched this week, brings together research, data and practice evidence in a single, accessible online platform, with the aim of supporting more informed decision-making across the sector.

The Hub has been developed in response to longstanding concerns that inequities in access to care, experiences of services and outcomes remain widespread, but that the evidence needed to address them is often difficult to access and apply.

By consolidating and summarising reviewed evidence, the platform seeks to overcome fragmentation and make insights more usable for policymakers, commissioners and practitioners.

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

Gerard Crofton-Martin, Interim Chief Executive at the Social Care Institute for Excellence, said inequities remain a fundamental challenge for the sector.

“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.”

The Hub has been developed through engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including people who draw on care and support, unpaid carers, providers, commissioners and researchers.

Patrick Wood, Chair of SCIE’s Co-production Steering Group, said the involvement of people with lived experience had been central to its design.

“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.”

By making research more accessible and relevant to frontline realities, the Hub is intended to support better-informed decisions about service design, resource allocation and interventions potentially helping to reduce disparities in access, experience and outcomes for people who rely on care and support.