Resources shared from the Citizen Network Conference in Winchester, 2026.
On 25th March 2026 we hosted Commissioning for the Future of Social Care — a one-day national conference bringing together senior commissioners, providers, system leaders, and innovators who are reshaping how adult social care is designed, commissioned, and delivered.
The conference was created by Self-Directed Support Network and Citizen Network. It was an opportunity to learn about how we can achieve citizenship for everyone and grow neighbourhoods of care so everyone can flourish. The speakers provided insight on the architecture of a better system that works for all citizens and invests in neighbourhoods. The challenges ahead are significant, but the event showed that there are plenty of ways we can combine the heart and the head and make things happen, even working within existing resources and policy constraints.
There is a real sense that many of the old policy assumptions that have been holding us back are weakening and that the time for change is now.
Cornwall Council • Somerset Council • iDirect Independent Living • KeyRing Support • SDS Network England • Citizen Network
I Direct Independent Living • SDS Network • Brandon Trust • CareMatch • Catalyst Care Group • Just Checking • Minstead Trust • Pairly • Troika Consultancy • Learning Disability England (LDE) • Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) • VODG (Voluntary Organisations Disability Group)
During the day we organised ourselves into multiple groups to share experiences and generate solutions – you can read and download a short summary (pdf) here. We will publish a longer provocation at a later date.
In their opening presentation, Simon Duffy and Wendy Perez, members of Citizen Network and authors of Everyday Citizenship, described how South Yorkshire is exploring how to develop neighbourhoods of care to transform lives and create a pathway to a sustainable social care system.
In her presentation, Karen Hooper, Commissioning Lead at Cornwall Council, described how Cornwall is using collaborative commissioning and personal budgets to improve outcomes and strengthen local systems, putting the Keys to Citizenship at the heart of transformation.
As part of her presentation Karen shared the following film about the work Citizen Checkers are doing in Cornwall to promote citizenship using the 7 Keys to Citizenship. You can find out more about the work of Citizen Checkers here.
Vinesh Kumar, Director of I Direct Independent Living, described how iDirect's ethos of trust, sense of purpose, and freedom shapes flexible, person-led support - achieving better outcomes and effective use of resources. Vinesh also launched the Signals model, discover more here.
Rhys Davies, Transformation Lead at Somerset Council, described how Somerset has developed a community-led model for designing, organising and delivering social care which is generating significant efficiencies and improvements.
Chris Watson, Founder of Self Directed Futures and Chair of SDS Network England, described how local authorities and NHS Commissioners can transform the whole market for support to advance personalisation and neighbourhoods of care.
Faith Walton and Karyn Kirkpatrick, KeyRing Living Support, shared Faith's inspiring story of how each individual, when empowered with an Individual Service Fund, can not only create better support for themselves but can lead investment in their own communities.
A small selection of photos capturing the spirit of the day.
Thank you to Joe Kelly for closing the conference with this wonderful poem.
The publisher is Citizen Network. Commissioning for the Future of Social Care © Citizen Network 2026.
Deinstitutionalisation, Inclusion, Neighbourhood Care, Self-Directed Support, social care, England, Article
