Public and private providers of health care gathered at the University last week to discuss better ways of working together.

A day-long workshop, titled Working Together for Adult Health and Social Care, brought together representatives of the University's Centre for Health Services Studies, Canterbury Christ Church University and Kent and Medway Care Alliance (KMCA) on Friday at Kent's Canterbury campus.

Top of the agenda was the effort regionally to increase collaborative working among different healthcare providers, said Professor Peter Jeffries, Director of KentHealth, which co-ordinates health-related activity at the University of Kent.

‘Supporting private and public providers of health and social care together to talk about collaborative working is a key aim of KentHealth. I am very glad we were able to get the University of Kent, Kent and Medway Care Alliance and Canterbury Christ Church University to combine forces to facilitate this workshop.'

Among the key questions considered during the day were: 'Thinking and Working across Boundaries', 'Reconciling Safety, Risk and Dignity' and 'Balancing Quality and Quantity Models, Structures and Frameworks'.

The University's Centre for Health Services Studies carries out research to support health and social care innovation and policy initiatives. It is one of the research centres of the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research. KentHealth is the University's one-stop-shop for health and social care research expertise and works to bring the region's healthcare agencies together to promote collaborative practice.

The KMCA supports the principles of self-directed care by working in partnership with service commissioners, service providers, service users and carers.