Revisiting the Five Provocations for the Future of Health and Social Care
- Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
- Type: News Item
- Published: 28th April 2021

We take a closer look at the Five Provocations driving the work of the Health and Social Care Academy.
The Health and Social Care Academy works with people who use health and social care services to influence positive and significant change across Scotland. The Academy’s work is driven by the Five Provocations for the Future of Health and Social Care, with the aim to embody these in work. These are intended to focus transformation on key areas where radical change can make a difference to the wellbeing of Scottish people.
The Five Provocations for the Future of Health and Social Care are:
- Courageous leadership
- Nurturing transformation
- Emphasising humanity
- Target culture
- Ceding power
The Academy works on a broad range of projects that address different challenges within health and social care in Scotland. Exploring key themes including: challenging stigma, mental health, gender and equalities, climate change, human rights, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma and resilience. The Working for change page explores work in more detail.
In 2020 the Academy commissioned a series of opinion pieces to look at the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of transformational change and the Five Provocations. Topics included:
- Women and COVID-19, with Emma Ritch, Engender
- Mental Health and Kindness, with Wendy Halliday, See Me
- Intersectionality and COVID-19, with Dr Anuj Kapilashrami
- Social Care Futures, with Annie Gunner Logan, CCPS
- Basic Income, with Jamie Cooke, RSA Scotland
- Trauma and COVID-19, with John McCormack
- Gender Competent Leadership, with Emma Ritch, Engender
- Public finances, human rights and COVID-19, with Dr Alison Hosie, Scottish Human Rights Commission
- COVID-19 and Human Rights, with Colin McKay, Edinburgh Napier University
The Academy has also worked on presenting opinion pieces such as Lived experience in psychosis, Making climate action inclusive, and the impact Universal Basic Income would have for women from a health and social care perspective. Also producing ALLIANCE Live content to spotlight emerging issues, examples of good practice and innovation taking place within health and social care.
A full review of the Academy’s work in 2020 is available at Health and Social Care Academy review, with a full report on the Five Provocations for the future of health and social care also available.
The Academy recently launched its new Courageous Leadership series which profiles leaders in health and social care in the third sector and beyond. As part of the series contributors provide their thoughts on Courageous Leadership, the importance of authenticity in their role and what needs to happen in terms of leadership in health and social care in Scotland going forward.
You can read more about the work of the Academy at Health and Social Care Academy. Follow the Academy’s activity linked to Five Provocations for the Future of Health and Social Care through the @HandSCAcademy Twitter account.
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