There will be a distinctly continental feel to Social Care teams in Suffolk this week as the county plays host to a delegation of Social Care professionals from Sweden.  

The visit by the Association of Directors of Swedish Social Services, which will be hosted jointly by both Adult Social Care and Children and Young People's services at Suffolk County Council, will be spread over three days from Wednesday 10th April to Friday 12th April, and will look to facilitate mutual knowledge-sharing and learning between all those taking part. 

"There will be a real focus on understanding the different approaches, processes and policies employed in both countries which effectively deal with the universal challenge of delivering good social care. 

The visit will include overviews of team and service structures, discussions around how people access services in the UK compared to Sweden including a trip out to meet the Rural Coffee Caravan, how services communicate the challenges of social care to the public, and discussions about the importance of Safeguarding and how people are kept safe. There will also be some time for the visitors to experience the beauty and unique cultural heritage of Suffolk. 

Cllr. Beccy Hopfensperger, Cabinet Member for Adult Care said: "I am really looking forward to meeting the Swedish delegation, as too are officers from across Adult Social Care and Children's services.

"I hope that they get as much from their visit to Suffolk as our officers did when they visited Sweden last year as part of the European Social Network conference, where they shared our knowledge and expertise about our award-winning digital care service, Cassius, and showcased how we engage with the public about adult social care via the "I Care" campaign".  

Cllr. Bobby Bennett, Cabinet Member and Children and Young People's Services said: "No one person, council or indeed country has all the answers when it comes to social care.

"Finding new ways to improve services and mitigating the challenges we all face is incredibly important, and this visit represents a great learning opportunity for both sides. 

"I hope they enjoy their visit to Suffolk."