Adult Care Information Network (ACIN)
The Adult Care Information Network (ACIN) brings together leading information specialists and policy makers on adult social care from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Our aim is to improve adult social care information across the UK. The Adult Care Information Network enables participants to contribute to common themes and learn from other parts of the UK about what issues, solutions and ideas they have.
The network meets every three months around the UK to share issues and approaches, 'work in progress' and solutions. Learning from similarities as well as differences helps the four countries to work together to develop practical solutions that will improve adult social care information, and ultimately, the care delivered across the UK.
Our objectives
To create a sustainable UK-wide network to:
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share ideas, experiences, dilemmas and opportunities in the use of information in adult social care
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share understanding of current and future developments in information, in both social care and at the interface with other services
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identify similarities (and differences) in approaches and priorities across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
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consider aligning information initiatives and workstreams where this is possible
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consider whether commonality of data sets would be useful
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agree areas for action and develop plans for taking them forward, jointly where appropriate.
The network focuses primarily on adult services, including joint working between health and social care. Members have made links with the childrens services information network in order to learn from their initiatives.
Want to get involved?
The Adult Care Information Network doesn't have a permanent membership. Some people have attended every meeting, some come on board when we discuss areas of particular interest to them.
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The most recent ACIN meeting, in Belfast on 31 January 2007, focussed on intermediate care.
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The next ACIN meeting, Practical Steps to Developing Information for Community and Intermediate Care is on 27 June 2007 in London.
We want to be inclusive, and are keen to expand the network to include as many people as possible. All you need is to share our common interest in improving adult social care information across the UK. The network includes informatics professionals, policy specialists and people implementing care on the ground.
To get involved, please contact your relevant country lead, listed below.
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England: Roger Staton, The Department of Health
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Wales: Howard Teague, Welsh Assembly Government
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Scotland : Margaret Quinn, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland
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Northern Ireland: Eugene Mooney, Department of Health & Personal Social Services, Northern Ireland
Network website: www.ic.nhs.uk/acin
Network contact: Linda Phipps