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

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.