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Real Care Deal Principles

Our Impact

Here you will find out about all the ways we are actively putting the Real Care Deal into practice and the impact it is having across the community. You will see changes and projects led by Norfolk County Council, as well as partners and providers.

CQC Inspection

Easier To Understand

CQC Agree to Include Easy Read

In June 2025, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited Norfolk County Council. People from the Lived Experience panel said that the information from CQC was not easy for everyone to read or understand. CQC listened to this feedback. Now, CQC has agreed to make changes. In the future, they will send information in different formats so that everyone can understand it.

Redesign of Home Care Services

Homecare Association

Norfolk County Council has talked with people who have used home care support to learn about their experiences. Their experiences have helped to create a new plan for home care.

They are now planning to speak with people again in areas that have switched to the new care model. The goal is to see if the changes have really made things better.

When reviewing home care support, care providers worked with commissioners and the Norfolk Care Association to create the new model. They met every month to discuss the plan, spot any problems, and decide on ways to avoid these issues.

To build trust and be clear about the process, different ideas for the new care model were scored using a system that the care providers helped create. The idea with the best score was chosen for use.

After the model was chosen, Council officers met one-on-one with the providers. They discussed concerns and explained the opportunities available. This approach supports local needs and ensures that everyone is heard. 

County Hall - Co-production

Changes to Care and Support Paperwork

Norfolk made changes to how practitioners completed care and support plans. They require practitioners to:

  • Show clearly what was talked about with the person when making their plan
  • Understand what the person really wants and what is important to them
  • Know how much help is being given by family members, friends, or carers

The next step is to work together with people who have experience of care and support. We want their help to check the paperwork and make it better—more about people, not just ticking boxes.

Good business and ethical employment

 

Through our recruitment and retention program, we have helped care providers in these ways:

  • Hiring with Shared Values: We run Skills for Care workshops to help providers hire staff who share their core values.
  • Good Induction Training: We include support for new employee training in our manager recruitment workshops, which are delivered by Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support.
  • Supporting Staff Wellbeing: We offer in-house workshops, online Shiny Mind sessions, and an app to promote staff wellbeing.
  • Promoting Health: We encourage public health checks and run programmes that help people improve their health behaviours.
  • Mentoring for Confidence: We mentor individuals to help them have tough conversations, which builds their confidence.

Changes to Council wide strategies

A number of specific strategies have been coproduced to ensure that Norfolk’s approach across the board aligns with the Real Care Deal 

  • A new vision and approach for Adult Social Care structured around Human Learning Systems principles.
  • System-wide, co-produced Autism Strategy My Autism, Our Lives, Our Norfolk – Norfolk’s All Age Autism Strategy June 2024 – 2029
  • System wide co-produced Learning Disability Plan Norfolk Adults Learning Disability Plan (2023-2028)
  • System-wide co-produced All Age Carers Strategy – Carers Voice. 
Oliver McGowan

We have also made sure that staff receive the right training and skills to provide high-quality care. This includes specialist courses like Positive Behavioural Support and Oliver McGowan training.

Norfolk has held talks with providers who are very good at hiring based on shared values and creating positive workplace cultures that keep staff. We are working together to gather good ideas that can be shared with other providers.

Additionally, Norfolk is taking the lead on international recruitment in the East of England. We are working with the People from Abroad Team and social workers to offer extra support.

Below are some links to the strategies mentioned:

  • New Vision and Approach for Adult Social Care:
    This is being developed in Adult Social Care and will be available soon.

 

 
  • Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Carers Charter: The Carers Charter is a new guide that explains how Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) will better support and work with carers of people using our services. https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/carers-charter/