Leading care consortium Spectrum has marked 20 years of providing support, advice, and networking opportunities to the care sector.
Spectrum, a free-to-join care purchasing network that seeks to support care home operators with insight and networking opportunities, recently co-hosted its Celebration of Social Care’ event - its first face-to-face gathering since the pandemic - alongside commercial property services provider Colliers at the latter’s London offices.
The event - which was led by Professor Martin Green OBE, chief executive of Care England - provided members with the chance to collaborate and discuss the state of the social care sector.
The event also saw Spectrum announce a rebrand to future-proof its network, which will include a new website and a designated members’ portal to enhance networking opportunities for its 1,700 members who, between them, provide nearly 54,000 beds across nine care associations.
As part of the rebrand, monthly forums will be hosted to offer members the opportunity to share best practice and hear from speakers from various industries – including finance, insurance, public health, and employment.
Commenting on the event, Spectrum chairman Arif Pradhan, said: “Reaching a 20th anniversary is a significant achievement for any organisation, but it’s especially the case when you reflect on all that we’ve achieved in that time. From our inception in 2002, we now have more than 1,700 members and it’s fantastic to see this continuing to develop as we evolve and thrive.
“With 20 years of heritage behind us though, now offers the perfect time to future-proof the Spectrum brand as we look forward to the next 20 years. This then, has seen us embark on a comprehensive rebrand – and one that does full justice in showcasing our expertise and long-established offering.
“All of these efforts are aimed at improving our channels of communication to reach a larger audience – targeting not just our existing members, but more and more of those working in care as we look to help the full spectrum of our industry benefit from our services.”
Headlining the event, Professor Green said: “Social care is in a fragile state. We face challenges around staffing and public perception – we’re in the midst of a perfect storm.
“We have to reform social care holistically. A real reform would look at all areas and delve into where all the money is going to deliver quality outcomes. I want to see a new vision for social care, one that offers long-term sustainable funding, a clear workforce strategy, innovation and development, a clear strategy on data, and an end to agism.
“I’m really concerned about the future, but I also know that one of the things we have in social care is the dynamic people around it, and they always find a way to jump through a hoop. It’s just unfortunate that so many hoops have been thrown our way. If we work together, we will be stronger.”
