Sarah McClinton - Director of Health and Adult Services at Royal Borough of Greenwich

Carer Catalysts

01-08-2023 • 43 Min.

Can we have (and achieve) a bold vision for carer support?

Sarah McClinton, Director of Health and Adult Services at Royal Borough of Greenwich, joins James to chat about everything from her career in social care through to innovation strategies and CQC assurance. Tune in for an episode packed with inspiration for carer support and nuggets of wisdom that you won't find anywhere else!

"My advice would be to be bold and to think about the opportunities. And create the space for the thinking. And so one of the things I think is really important is co-production with carers. What it is that they need and what they want. And I think that's part of building a business case, if you like as to what is going to make the difference. We know that supporting carers is actually really fundamentally vital in terms of enabling people to continue to care. And that relatively small amounts of money can make a big difference which ultimately saves lots of money down the line."

  • (00:00) - Hello and welcome
  • (00:50) - What's coming up in episode one of Carer Catalysts?
  • (02:26) - Introducing Sarah McClinton - How have you spent your career?
  • (05:12) - Are there echoes in how we disrupted existing services during the Covid-19 pandemic from how we responded to HIV and AIDS?
  • (06:12) - Has the idealism from the start of your career rubbed off with the grubby reality of getting things done?
  • (08:13) - Why is it important to innovate for unpaid carers?
  • (10:30) - Do we just need to fund existing services properly?
  • (12:46) - How do we make sure we're giving proper attention to unpaid carers when there are so many competing priorities?
  • (17:05) - What outcomes mark success for innovation?
  • (20:30) - How can we make sure that everyone gets the benefit of innovation?
  • (23:33) - Are there any examples of innovation that you've been really inspired by?
  • (25:40) - What advice would you give to someone looking to do something transformational for unpaid carers in their local authority?
  • (28:08) - In your career have there been any moments where you've wanted to do something, but making it happen felt a bit too much?
  • (32:25) - What are the implications for CQC assurance for local authorities?
  • (35:46) - How do you make sure that you're abreast of the latest developments?
  • (39:13) - Key takeaways from the conversation with Sarah
  • (00:00) - Chapter 17

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The views of guests participating in this podcast are their own and may not represent the views of any affiliated organisation. The content is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute financial, medical or legal advice.