Care England and the Good Governance Institute has published a discussion paper exploring STPs and care homes. It has been developed through a literature review and desktop review of all 44 STPs, includes a series of case studies on best practices from the six NHS England vanguard sites.

The review of all sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) has found that although there are some examples of good work involving the role of care homes in the STP process (particularly in the NHS England Enhanced Health in Care Home Vanguards), there are still many gaps and a lack of understanding of how the care home market in England can help STP footprints achieve the ‘triple aim’ outlined by NHS England.

The research has found that only five of the 44 STPs include independent care home or social care providers as partner organisations. Only two include specific strategies for how dementia and mental health conditions can be effectively managed in the care home setting.

The briefing paper looks at the working between STPs and care homes, whilst also identifying the gaps in the STP process and how care homes can fill these. The paper also explores in what circumstance STPs make reference to social care, focusing particularly on care homes, before presenting some case studies which demonstrate the impact that an effective care home sector can have on the performance of the health system as a whole. The opportunities are illustrated through case studies from three of the vanguard sites – Airedale and Partners, Gateshead Care Home Project and Sutton Homes of Care.

The paper points out that, 'there can be no doubt that the social care sector, and care homes, in particular, are becoming increasingly strained both in terms of financial and human resource. Although STPs do to some extent engage with these issues, the extent to which they do so is extremely variable and whilst this is the case, we are unlikely to see the level of integration and transformation required to ensure the sustainability of the sector into the future.'

The report follows two others on the subject of STPs. A survey of local authority and NHS organisations involved in STPs found that there is a worryingly long way to go to achieving successful partnership working. Also, the Care Provider Alliance found that there needs to be greater engagement between STPs and the independent and voluntary adult social care sector.