Integrated Care Systems and Social Care | What Providers Need to Know
Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) have been central to NHS reforms — but their impact on social care commissioning is only just starting to take shape. For providers, understanding how ICSs operate is essential for future-proofing services and aligning with commissioning expectations.
🔍 What Are ICSs?
ICSs bring together NHS bodies, local authorities, and voluntary sectors to plan and deliver health and care services at a system level. The aim is to improve population health, tackle inequalities, and integrate care across organisational boundaries.
For social care providers, this means fewer decisions made in isolation and more scrutiny on how services contribute to health outcomes, prevention, and system-wide priorities.
✅ Why ICSs Matter for Providers
- Commissioners increasingly expect alignment with ICS goals
- Partnership working and collaboration are more valued than ever
- Outcomes, data sharing, and integrated pathways are key focus areas
- Social value delivery is often tied to ICS health priorities
💡 How to Align with ICS Expectations
- Review local ICS strategies and delivery plans
- Ensure your services link to population health goals (prevention, reablement, reducing hospital admissions)
- Strengthen relationships with health partners and voluntary sector
- Embed data collection and outcomes reporting aligned to ICS frameworks
- Demonstrate how your service adds value to the wider system
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Updated for Procurement Act 2023 • CQC-aligned • BASE-aligned (where relevant)