Social Innovation in social care services: actors and roles in the innovation process

ABSTRACT

Social Innovation (SI) is receiving considerable attention in the social care field, but much about how SI occurs in this sector is unexplored, especially concerning which actors are involved and in what roles. Thus, this study aimed to contextualize and expand on the current literature on SI, welfare mix, and service innovation by analysing 13 cases of SI experiences in social care in Lombardy, Italy. Findings show that the range of involved actors is wider than expected regarding variety and different roles they play. Namely, the Changemaker and Mastermind-Coordinator roles were crucial in the rise of local-level SI experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Social Innovation
• actors
• roles
• innovation process
• welfare

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elisabetta Notarnicola

Elisabetta Notarnicola is Associate Professor of Practice at Centre for Research on Health and Social Care Management, SDA Bocconi School of Management, also coordinator of the Research Area Social Policy and Service Management. She holds the MSc degree in Management of Public Administration and International Organizations from Bocconi University and a PhD in Management and Innovation at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan. Her research interests revolve mainly around social care policies and more specifically around policy planning and policy-making, network management and coordination between social and health-care sectors witha a focus on SI

Sara Berloto

Sara Berloto is Junior Research Fellow at the Centre for Research on Health and Social Care Management at SDA Bocconi School of Management. She holds a BSc in International Relations and European Institutions at the University of Milan and a MSc in Economics and Management of Government and International Organizations at Bocconi University. Her research interests include international politics, global philanthropy, global health and international development, welfare, governance, social policy and service managemen.

Eleonora Perobelli

Eleonora Perobelli is Junior Research Fellow at the Centre for Research on Health and Social Care Management at SDA Bocconi School of Management. She holds an MSc degree in Economics and Management of Government and International Organizations from Bocconi University and her final dissertation concerned the role of accounting information in the policy-making process, building on evidence from the Municipality of Milan. She obtained a Bachelor Degree in Management from Bocconi University. Her research interests involve Welfare, Long-Term Care, Governance and Strategic Programming.