WHAT'S NEW? ORBIS EDUCATION AND CARE OPENS EARLY YEARS PROVISION IN WALES


Orbis Education and Care has opened a new early years provision, The Meadows, at Summergil House, Presteigne, in Mid Wales.


The provision will cater for children aged between four and seven years who have complex needs associated with autism and has been designed with the early years curriculum in mind.


The Meadows is situated on the grounds of Summergil House, a well-established school which Orbis Education and Care has been running on the 18-acre site for nearly 20 years.


Officially opened by Orbis Education and Care CEO Andy Cresswell and Hilary Jones, Head of Service, Additional Needs at Herefordshire Council, the school will provide a bright and stimulating learning experience for its pupils, to inspire the children and encourage their development at this early stage of their educational journey.


Andy Cresswell, CEO of Orbis Education and Care, said at the official opening of The Meadows: “It is wonderful to add The


Meadows to our educational offering, especially as it’s an early years provision.


“It is really great to be adding The Meadows to our educational portfolio in Mid Wales, which will really make a difference to these young children, many of whom will be taking their first steps into a formal educational setting.”


The opening will lead to the creation of more than 20 new jobs, including teachers and learning support assistants.


Orbis Education and Care is a specialist provider of educational and residential support for people with complex needs


www.orbis-group.co.uk


ADDRESSING INEQUITY IN SOCIAL CARE


The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has launched its Care Equity Evidence Hub – an online resource bringing together research, data, and practice evidence to address inequities in social care.


There are persistent differences in people’s access to social care and support, their experiences of services, and the outcomes they achieve. Yet the evidence needed to understand and address these differences is oſten fragmented, difficult to find, and written in ways that limit its use in practice. These barriers prevent those shaping policy, commissioning, and practice decisions from using evidence meaningfully.


The Care Equity Evidence Hub responds to this challenge by consolidating and summarising reviewed and appraised evidence from across research, data, and practice. By presenting it in an accessible way and organising it around sector priorities, the Hub makes it easier to find and apply in real-world decision-making.


Evidence in the Hub is organised across six key themes: workforce, underserved populations, neighbourhood health,


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financial inequities, geographical inequities, and the use of technology in care.


Gerard Crofton-Martin, Interim Chief Executive at SCIE, said: “No one should receive worse care, or miss out on care, because of who they are, where they live, or their circumstances. Yet inequities in social care remain a persistent and widely recognised challenge – from timely, personalised support that enables independence and dignity, to long waiting lists, high eligibility thresholds and unmet basic needs.


“The evidence on care equity has oſten been fragmented and difficult for social care professionals to access and apply. This creates a gap between what we know and what we can do.


“This new resource for the sector supports people to quickly find, understand, and apply evidence in ways that reflect the realities of practice.


“By helping us better understand where inequities occur, how they affect different communities and what approaches may


help address them, it takes us a step closer to creating a fairer system that responds to people’s varied circumstances – and enables them to live fulfilling lives.”


The Care Equity Evidence Hub was shaped through engagement with organisations and individuals across the social care sector-including policymakers, commissioners, providers, researchers, people who draw on care and support, and unpaid carers.


Patrick Wood, Chair of SCIE’s Co-production Steering Group, who has served in an advisory role to the design and direction of the Hub, said: “The voices of people with lived experience have been central in shaping the Evidence Hub, and we have worked alongside professionals from a range of different backgrounds on an equitable basis to ensure that this resource will be useful for everyone concerned with social care.”


www.scie.org.uk/insights/care- equity/evidence-hub


www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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