In social care, change doesn’t happen through perfect strategies. It happens through relationships and partnerships – the kind built over time, with trust, shared values, and a common purpose.
At Brandon, we support people with learning disabilities and autistic people to live gloriously ordinary lives. That mission is simple in principle, but delivering it well takes partnerships – not just with families and commissioners, but with communities, local businesses, health systems, and most importantly, people with lived experience.
The best work is co-produced
One of the clearest examples of this is our work with the Adventurers – Brandon’s team of co-production consultants. Their insight has shaped everything from training future NHS prescribers, to inclusive research, to the creation of grief cafés. They don’t just bring lived experience – they lead with it.
This approach reflects the very best of national policy. The Care Act 2014 puts wellbeing and choice at the centre. The NHS 10-Year Health Plan calls for personalised, integrated support. The Care Workforce Pathway and Building the Right Support Action Plan, both recognise that effective support is built with, not for, people. The Adventurers live these principles every day.
It’s about inclusion and results
It’s not just about inclusion – it’s about results. We’ve seen the difference this makes in our communities.
In Cornwall, a young man we support asked if we could start a football team. From that one question, Brandon FC was born – and is now part of the Cornwall Disability Football League and led by players supported by Brandon.
In North Somerset, Bromley, and Plymouth, we’re partnering with local commissioners to design more flexible, responsive services – especially around transitions and housing for young people with complex needs. That work echoes the ambitions of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms but relies on strong, local collaboration to bring them to life.
Our enterprises and retail spaces are another kind of partnership. At Elm Tree Farm, more than 200 corporate volunteers have worked side by side with people we support – learning, laughing, and creating value that goes far beyond financial return.
Focus on impact
We’ve also aligned our delivery with Impact Measures that go beyond outputs – focusing on what matters most: connection, inclusion, contribution, and independence. Because real success is measured in lives changed, not just hours delivered.
Here’s what I’ve learned: the future of social care isn’t something we build on our own. It lives in the relationships we nurture – with commissioners, families, frontline teams, and the people we support.
So, as we look ahead – to new reforms, funding frameworks, and challenges yet to come – I believe our task is clear: To develop more relationships and partnerships. To keep building trust. And to never forget that the future of social care starts in community. Let’s build something better – together.
Tracy Date
Chief Business Development, Enterprise, and Partnerships Officer
