How can we keep the spark of innovation going for unpaid carers?Andrew, after 35 years in leadership roles in health and care, including Director of Social Services, chairing a major social enterprise and advising government, now supports innovators in care. Suzanne and Andrew talk about changing the narrative so that we don't have to put up with 'the way things are'."Find a place where you can do something different, and that could be a pilot."That could be an experiment that could be a trial supported by an academic institution. "It could be, a grant to, a regeneration scheme that has got some care or carers elements built into it. "Make sure that you keep lots and lots of your peers really well informed about it, because, this is in my experience, public sector systems can discourage the initial spark of innovation. "But once it's going, it's quite hard to stamp it out because people will just spontaneously start doing things."And suddenly it becomes the norm." (00:00) - Welcome to Carer Catalysts (00:51) - What's coming up in this episode? (01:28) - Introducing Andrew Webster: Can you tell us about your career in social care? (03:25) - Why can't we talk about social care without including unpaid carers? (04:55) - How do we keep unpaid carers top of the agenda? What are some tangible things we can do? (08:03) - When you're in the thick of it, how do you keep your energy up to keep that drive going forward? (10:42) - What does the most successful change in public services come from? (11:26) - How do you choose what opportunities and innovation to focus on? (15:36) - How do you navigate all the challenges of navigating change in a big organisation or a complex system? (17:43) - How can you keep the spark of innovation going? (20:50) - Tell us another example of innovation you've been involved in: Transforming services for people with learning disabilities (25:22) - Any final tips on how people can make stuff happen? Check in with yourself and keep things in balance (27:36) - Key takeaways from our chat with Andrew

Are we dreaming of big leaps forward with innovation, or small incremental steps?This episode is one not to miss - a brilliant chat with Debbie Hustings, a bit of a celebrity in the world of carer support and lead in London for the NHS England's unpaid carers team. Debbie tells us about exciting innovation with Carers Contingency Planning and shares some of her 'secret sauce' on how to get people on board around a common challenge. There's lots to learn and be inspired by - enjoy!"I think throughout my career the best results I've ever had for carers have been when I've pulled down the wall, pulled down the barriers and gone and to talk with people who perhaps may be considered 'the other side of the fence'."And I think bringing together people with a common cause...you can persuade people that you know of the right of that cause." (00:00) - Welcome to Carer Catalysts (00:49) - What's coming up in this episode of Carer Catalysts? (02:31) - Introducing Debbie Hustings - NHS England Unpaid Carers Lead (London) (04:55) - What would be the highlights for you in seeing progress and the differences between the sectors? (06:19) - What keeps your motivation going, given the rate of progress can often be so slow? (10:05) - What is the Carers Contingency Plan? And how did it come to be? (16:03) - How are you making innovation happen? And on such a scale? (19:37) - How do you bring people together around a common challenge to make a change? (22:58) - Is funding important for innovation? (25:32) - Should be dream of big leaps forward with innovation or small incremental steps? (28:05) - What comes next for you, Debbie? (29:15) - Key takeaways from our chat with Debbie Creators & Guests James Townsend - Host Suzanne Bourne - Host Debbie Hustings - Guest

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 Creators & Guests James Townsend - Host Suzanne Bourne - Host Sarah McClinton - Guest

We're bringing people together who've got experience of innovating for unpaid carers to tell us their stories, the successes they've had, the challenges they've had and to share their top tips with us as well.So join us for Carer Catalysts, a podcast by Mobilise that connects innovators for unpaid carers.