Our priority areas 2023-24

We are not currently seeking partners. However, if you have a potential project we would love to work with you later in the year. Contact us at partnerwithus@iriss.org.uk to get started.

If you can't wait until then, see our services page for how we can help you now.

You have told us that you want support to innovate in social work and social care; help teams to practise effectively, and change social work and social care processes. 

We want to help your service or organisation to make changes – to try out new ways of doing things to practise more effectively. 

Over 2023-24 we will focus on three key priority areas, which are:


Day-to-day dignity

We will help you put the person and their dignity at the centre of how your care and support is provided. 

We know that’s why the majority of you who work in the sector get involved, and how important it is to those who receive care and support. Dignity is one of five core human rights principles – fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy. We want to explore this with partners to make dignity day-to-day happen.  

We also know the constraints and pressures workers are under – workloads, expectations, processes and paperwork. This noise pulls you away from core values and motivation, and leaves you feeling dissatisfied and overwhelmed.


Space to practise

We will help you create space for teams to practise effectively.

You have told us about the multiple pressures that make it difficult to prioritise learning, relationships, reflection and career development. We can support you to recognise and shift the conditions that hold these pressures in place.


Foundations for change

We will help you identify and tackle what gets in the way of good work in social care at the system scale.

You tell us that some changes can’t be made alone. The processes, cultures and environments that we work in, they shape what we do, and how we do it. And sometimes we just don’t notice them because that’s ‘just how we do things’.

This year our focus is on changing how social care is planned, purchased and paid for (also known as commissioning, procurement and contracting.) What needs to change in the system to make it easy to do the right thing for the people you support?