The coalition of national voices of adult social care providers in England, the Care Provider Alliance (CPA) is delighted to welcome Ewan King, Chief Executive Officer of Shared Lives Plus, as the incoming Chair for 2025/26.
As the former Deputy CEO at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), and currently a Deputy Director of the IMPACT ‘IMProving Adult Care Together’ Centre, the UK centre for implementing evidence in adult social care, Ewan has extensive experience in social care.
At SCIE, Ewan was a key figure in promoting innovation, co-production, and evidence-based practice across adult services. He is known for his passionate advocacy for person-centred and community-based care models, and has consistently worked to amplify the voices of people who use care services and those who deliver them.
Ewan became CEO of Shared Lives Plus in 2022, the UK-wide membership and development organisation for the Shared Lives and Homeshare communities, where he remains strongly committed to working with communities and people’s strengths, rather than their weaknesses, and helping build communities where everyone lives a full life, regardless of the support they need.
With over two decades of leadership and policy expertise in social care and health, Ewan will be instrumental in guiding the CPA at a critical time for the care sector.
The role of CPA chair rotates annually across each of the ten associations. Ewan follows Professor Vic Rayner OBE, Chief Executive Officer, National Care Form (NCF), who has served as the CPA’s Chair for the past 12 months.
Commenting on his new role, Ewan says: “It is a privilege to take the role of Chair of the Care Provider Alliance. The social care sector continues to face immense challenges and I’m committed to ensuring that the voices of all care and support providers are heard loud and clear.
“As we navigate the challenges of the Employment Rights and the Fair Pay Agreement, Designated Health Tasks, and Neighbourhood Health, it is vital we speak as one voice. We, as an alliance, are at the heart of conversations with the Government, and are constantly highlighting the impact and challenges of these changes on the sector.
“I look forward to continuing our work with fellow CPA members, policymakers, commissioners, and those who draw on services over the next 12 months. This is a crucial time for adult social care, and I will strive to amplify the voices of everyone connected to social care and support, and continue to make the case for a sustainable, diverse and high quality care and support sector which enables people, whatever their backgrounds, to live the best lives possible. We are all exceedingly grateful to outgoing Chair, Professor Vic Rayner OBE, for her superb leadership over the last year, and to the small admin team who continue to go above and beyond to support us on a limited part-time basis.”
Outgoing Chair, Vic says: “The pace of change in this last year has been phenomenal, and it has been really important to work collaboratively and in partnership across the CPA.
“I am really pleased to have held the chair during this period of change, covering, amongst other things; carrying out the review of the Single Assessment Framework, engaging in cross sector working around the complex changes associated with the Fair Pay Agreement and the introduction of the Employment Rights Bill, exploring the role of the Casey Commission, understanding the changes that will flow from the ten year health plan, and of course working together to understand the immediate and longer term implications of the Autumn 2024 budget, carrying out a national surveys and to highlight the devasting impact of these measure on the care and support providers.
“I very much look forward to continuing to work closely with Ewan, who I know has the passion and leadership to support our collaborative endeavours in a year filled with more change and challenge for social care.