Director of health and care integration - Karen Smith

Karen is currently director of adult social services at Blackpool Council and has worked for the Council for 21 years in adult social care and policy roles. Karen will be retaining her statutory director of adult services role and combining with health, through this role.

Amongst her existing responsibilities, she is strategic lead for the integrated community learning disability service, and leads the council's input to hospital discharges through the integrated transfer of care hub as well as the integrated bed based intermediate care service at the ARC, reablement at home, and the council's input to mental health services. Karen is responsible for the council's own in house care services as well as external care providers; she has a lead role in market management and supporting quality in the regulated care sector on behalf of both NHS and local authority commissions. These are all areas where better outcomes are achieved for Blackpool's population when the NHS and Social Care work together.

Karen also has extensive experience working in the voluntary sector, for both Citizen’s Advice and Shelter’s Housing Aid Centre. She is co-chair of All Age Autism Board, chair of Fylde Coast Health and Social Care Career Academy, co-chair of Blackpool Autism Partnership and Blackpool Learning Disability Partnership

Karen was born and brought up in Blackpool and, after 10 years away, returned in 1992 to live, work and raise her family here. She is a Team GB middle distance triathlete, an avid live gig goer and a season ticket holder at Blackpool FC.