We’ve just come back from the Care Innovation Challenge, a creative, high-energy weekend where people came together to rethink what’s possible in social care. The event brought people together to generate ideas, build prototypes, and test out new approaches to real-life challenges in health and social care.
My reflections: Isaac
This was my first time at the Care Innovation Challenge, but Paula’s experience and support helped me get to grips with the event. The weekend was intense but absolutely brilliant.
My reflections: Paula
I’ve been doing this for years, and it was great to support Isaac and others. Seeing new people dive into innovation always reminds me of the power of combining creativity with lived experience.
Working together
Together, as experienced mentors, we worked closely with potential innovators in social care. We helped them really understand why co-production matters. It’s about making sure the people you’re creating for are right at the heart of it. The weekend was buzzing with energy, skill, and enthusiasm. Being mentors alongside others who know their stuff was inspiring, and the whole experience felt very much like a two-way street — we learnt as much as we shared.
What the challenge involved
The weekend was packed with workshops, idea generation, mentoring sessions, and honest conversations. It was about more than just ideas; it was about connecting those ideas to people’s lives and experiences.
There was also a real focus on prototyping and testing, with five finalists receiving funding and mentoring to prepare for the final, and the winning team receiving a prize to develop their business further.
How lived experience was involved
We weren’t mentors in the traditional sense. As lived experience innovators ourselves, we brought a unique perspective to the table. We guided teams to think deeply about who their innovations were really for, and why involving people with lived experience is so crucial. Our years of expertise helped shape those conversations, making sure innovation didn’t lose sight of the people it aims to support.
The ideas that stood out
The ideas that stood out the most were the ones rooted in real-life challenges. There were some fantastic concepts coming from lived experience, addressing issues around epilepsy, dementia, and creating environments that support well-being, to name just a few. These innovations weren’t about flashy tech but about genuinely improving people’s lives, and that made them really powerful.
What we learnt
We saw how essential teamwork, patience, and bravery are in this kind of work. Innovation isn’t a quick fix. It takes time and collaboration. Mentoring alongside other skilled people reminded us just how much knowledge and enthusiasm there is in this space. Plus, it showed us the value of a mutual exchange: we offered guidance, but we also gained fresh insights from the innovators and their lived experiences.
How we hope the innovations develop
We hope these ideas continue to grow and evolve, always with input from those they’re designed to help. The best innovations stay connected to lived experience and keep adapting to meet real needs. It’s exciting to think about how these projects will develop into practical solutions that really make a difference in social care.
The Care Innovation Challenge weekend may be over, but the journey is just beginning. The finalist teams will now receive further funding and mentoring to build their ideas, ahead of pitching at the Care Show in October.
We’ll be watching closely and cheering them on every step of the way.
