New social care flu tsar named

Former Association of Directors of Social Services president Roy Taylor is to become the new social care swine flu tsar. The Department of Health said Mr Taylor’s official title would be National Director for Social Care Flu Resilience and that he would take up the part-time post with immediate effect.

He will report to the department’s director general for social care David Behan and will be responsible for ensuring that social care organisations in England build on the planning that is already in in place to deal with flu pandemics.

Care services minister Phil Hope said Mr Taylor’s appointment would help ensure that the sector was in the best possible position to protect the population against flu.

“Roy has been involved in the planning for pandemic flu for the last three years and has worked in social care more widely for a long time before that, so he brings a wealth of experience to the role,” he said.

“I look forward to working with him.”

Mr Taylor is a founding member of the Social Care Pandemic Influenza Group, and has been civil contingencies lead at the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Association of Directors of Children’s Social Services.

He said it was clear that both the NHS and the social care sector needed to continue to devise effective strategies to protect vulnerable people from the swine flu pandemic.

“Commissioners and providers need to work together and so do adult and children’s services,” he said.

“I look forward to helping make this happen.”

Mr Taylor will work three-days a week in the new role on a contract that runs until the end of March next year.