PB User Group Minutes - Feb 2011

Personal Budgets User Group Meeting Minutes, Monday 28th February 2011

Introduction by Jenny Hurst

Hello everyone, thank you again for coming. The agenda for this meeting is as follows;

v  Introductions

v  Feedback from meetings

v  Members feedback from meetings

v  Project update- Pre payment card’s, legal rewards, Blog and managed accounts

v  Focus groups: The ups and downs of Personal Budgets, etc

v  A.O.B

Introduction: Welcome back everyone, thank you again for coming. It seems as though there are a lot of new faces, so for those that are still not sure who I am my name is Jenny Hurst, I am the new Personal Budget coordinator. I replaced Jas Johal for almost 6months now. I am at ADKC 5days a week from 11am – 5pm if anyone would like to get in contact with me.

Feedback from meeting attended: Martha and Jamie Renton and I had a meeting a few weeks ago with Toni Camp who’s the personalisation officer of the council. The meeting was to discuss managed accounts but I will talk about that later in the project update. During the meeting Jamie mentioned the struggle to receive information in accessible format and Toni was shocked that nothing had been done due to being mentioned months ago. Toni promised she will look into this as she knows how determined ADKC are towards there members.

The second topic that was bought up in this meeting was lack of guidelines of Personal Budget use. Members are constantly complaining that the council refuse to provide a clear outline of how and how not to use Personal budget. Members were told that personal budgets are suppose to be flexible, however it seems as though the social services are getting stricter and stricter therefore members feel as though personal budget is no longer flexible. Toni Camp made a suggestion and said “If Martha and Jenny can ask the Personal budget group if they would like us to go through there support plans and take out examples that we may find relevant and use as examples to create a clear guideline document”. Members of the group said that this would be a good idea. I am aware many members say they are scared to use there personal budget due to being told two different things so we need to make sure we make it clear to the council that we need a clear guideline and show them what we think has been an advantage and disadvantage whilst using Personal Budget. May I also mention, I can’t specify how important it is that privacy and confidentially must be respected in a Personal budget meeting, please be aware some people may get upset if they share an example in a meeting and then find out that it has been passed on to a neighbour or friend, I am very aware that many of you don’t intend to do this purposely but I would appreciate that, if people do share experiences or ask about certain issues, this is kept private and not repeated outside this room.

Toni also mentioned that we can use the council website to advertise personal budget more, and advertise any upcoming meetings or events so I have designed a small flyer and put it up on the people first website. Toni also mentioned there will be help sheets sent out to all the users who receive a personal budget who are seeking advice and assistance regarding there personal budgets.

Members Feedback from meetings: Maria Pace feed back about the  training session that she and Jenny went to. Present at the meeting were Her Majesty and Revenue Customs (HMRC -the new name for the Inland Revenue), Hammersmith and Fulham Action Disability, various people from the two councils and Maria and Jenny representing for Action Disability Kensington and Chelsea. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss Tax and National Insurance and how to make training around this issue easy for people like us to understand. Many members are still unaware of their responsibilities about Tax and National Insurance, and a penalty is then charged due to not making payments. HMRC are trying to design training for “carer employers” to emphasise the importance of paying Tax and National Insurance, so please look out for this information.

The main point of the training were-

If you have a worker that does caring activities, they must be “Employed”, NOT “Self employed”.

All care workers need to be registered with the HMRC (with a P45 or P46 form) even if they don’t earn enough to pay tax / NI.

If you were supposed to deduct Tax / NI, and don’t, the HMRC can fine you / take legal proceedings against you/

IF YOU EMPLOY A PRIVATE WORKER AND YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT AS TO WHETHER YOU SHOULD BE DEDUCTING TAX / NI FROM THE WORKERS WAGES OR NOT, PLEASE CONTACT THE PB TEAM.

Question: If someone is receiving £20 do they have to pay Tax?

Answer: It depends on the individuals circumstances i.e. there benefits, if someone has a second job. Please all be aware, ell employees must fill in a P46 which states there current circumstance and when they started working for you.

Question: Is payroll very expensive?

Answer: It depends on how many employees the individual has. You may also do it yourself if you follow the Employer’s CD  Rom that they are providing, however you will need to pay for paper and ink to print out the wage slips, however it will be cheaper than having a payroll service. On the other hand, the individual’s circumstance may vary, as some may struggle with calculations, therefore they must have a payroll service, but if you have the ability to calculate, and want to, then feel free to do it yourself. Part of my job role consists of providing new contracts, basic legal advice etc., so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss anything about employment.

Feedback from Philomena and Patricia about the LINK personalisation meeting: This meeting was to discuss the experience individuals are having whilst using a personal budget within Hammersmith and Fulham or Kensington and Chelsea, good and bad. Several issues came up, including misleading advice, lack of concrete information etc. They were carrying out a survey so they can produce a report that they can provide to the council once completed.  Once the report has been completed it will be published on the LINK website so we will be able to feed back what they concluded.

Project update

Pre Payment cards: The council wish to have up to 50 members for their trial and then do a review and see whether they should continue with this or not. It has been noted that there are some issues with the pre-payment card, such as people not being set-up on it quickly, not receiving the card, the name on the card not being correct, the bank putting charges on the card.

There are positives about the card – such as the fact that the card provider sends all the information about how you use the card, directly to the council. All individuals have different skills – some people might be perfectly happy to have their PB paid into their account and do all the monitoring that the council needs, but some people may find it difficult to manage their money, or they don’t want to have to bother, so would find it having a pre-paid card useful. However it should be offered as an option, not as compulsory.

Legal rewards: There is still no official guidance on legal rewards so Patricia, Angeleca and I decided to sit down together and come up with a plan about how to tackle this. I am trying to find out what other boroughs do about legal rewards and provide our council with the final outcome and see if we can input into proper guidance. At the moment only 13 councils replied to me. Some council’s replied and said ‘yes we allow legal rewards, but there’s no set guidance”, and some councils said “no, we don’t allow legal rewards”. Would the group like me to write this report now and present it to the council, or should I wait for a few more councils to reply to me, therefore we can have more information to argue our case?

Majority agree to wait for 5 more councils to respond to me - but if you weren’t at the meeting and want to have your say, please feel free to call and give us your opinion.

I would also like the group to come up with examples of how they wish to use legal rewards, and I will try and propose this to the council and hopefully they will consider our case.

Blog: For those that are unfamiliar with the term Blog, a Blog is something on the computer that you can constantly update for people to be aware of any upcoming events or to share bits of information. I have put up an introduction which shows all the upcoming events, I also put up a survey by an organisation called “People First” which asks about your experiences of having a PB. If 50 people from the same borough fill in this survey, a report will go out to the council giving people’s true feelings. This survey is private and anonymous.

The Blog also contains a calculator known as a RAS which anyone can use if receiving a personal budget. A RAS calculator calculates an “indicative” figure from your self assessment questionnaire, which the council use as an amount that will meet the individual’s needs, however this may be increased by the social worker if necessary.

So for those that wish to double check whether they are receiving the correct amount of money or not, please fill free to do this using the information on the blog.

The “Joint Committee for Human Rights” is doing a ‘Call for evidence’. They are a committee that want to get evidence about how government’s changes may affect disabled people’s ability to live independently. You may wish to submit a document individually or meet with other members and do something as a group.

On the Blog there are also links to the following topics and more

v  Employers spot. This provides information about holiday pay and leave for personal budget users, information and tools that individual may find useful.

v  Dates for the next personal budget meetings and any upcoming events

v  Pre payment card information and update

Managed account: The meeting with Toni Camp a couple of weeks ago was regarding managed accounts. A managed account means ADKC receive money from council on behalf of the individual rather than going into there personal accounts and we make payments to the employee’s  and any other additional costs if necessary. ADKC also deals with payroll companies so the individual has nothing to worry about concerning working out the Tax/ NI. One of the suggestions was that ADKC run their own payroll system, rather than using other companies to do this. Does the group wish for ADKC to run a Payroll service? Majority of the group said yes, but if you weren’t at the meeting and want to have a say, please feel free to contact Martha or me and give us your opinion.

AOB: One of the members mentioned an “out of the blue phone call” from her social worker stating that her review is urgently due. At the review the social worker took out a self assessment questionnaire and wanted to fill it in at that moment, however the member refused because she had not been told in advance that she would have to do this.

If this happens to you

1. Ask for the review to take place at a time and venue that suits you – don’t feel pressurised.
2. If you are not sure that the really are from the social services, ask them to send you a letter giving the date of the appointment and the name of the  person  coming
3. Ask them to send you all the forms in advance, so you can sit down comfortably and read though them before the meeting.

Focus Group: Below are examples that a number of groups came up with regarding any “ups and downs” that they may have experienced whilst using a personal budget in the four categories as listed below.

Group 1 information:

v  It is always sheer coincidence, we always hear about events through word of mouth that are to do with the council

v  ADKC provide information

v  Direct payments

v  Occupational therapists

v  Social workers are not knowledgeable enough about personal budget

v  Contradictions and confliction for example some members were not informed to open separate bank accounts when starting a personal budget

v  Lack of clarity on eligibility

Assessment:

v  Bad social workers, some social workers carry out a medical assessment when not qualified to do so

v  ADKC always present or held at ADKC

v  Financial assessments are never clear to the members and don’t state what has to be contributed to the council

v  No clarifications for lower limit on savings for financial assessment

v  Self Assessment Questionnaires have unnecessary questions and should be removed due to confusing members

v  Consist change of forms

v  Users not informed of new social workers or any social worker

v  Social workers misrepresent what is said by service users

v  Take too long to start a Personal Budget

v  DLA. Care component, never clear what will be taken away. Should be warned 1year in advance to keep any receipts or documents stating use of Personal Budget or spend DLA money more formally to prove disability related expenditure.

Using:

v  Legal rewards, no clarity

v  No clarity what Personal Budget can be used for

v  Always feeling bullied and intimidated by the council

Review:

v  Just want to be left alone

v  Promised independence, employment and flexibility

v  Too much stress and confusion

v  Social workers always making harsh phone calls and bring documents without being informed which causes stress and pressure

Group 2 Information:

v  Still unclear how to use money even though written in support plan

v  No information regarding whole package

Assessment:

v  Social workers are always to busy to come and carry out assessment

Review:

v  Questions need to be changed and reworded as they don’t cover all needs of the individuals.

v  Social workers loose original documents and send documents filled in by them and claim this as the original document

Using:

v  Families feel offended and unappreciated if asked to assist individual for free, when receiving money to pay care workers.

Group 3 Information:

v  Very brief bits and pieces of information

v  No clarification

v  Conflict because they did not want to put down the real information, only put down what they think is necessary.

v  Not enough information on what should be included example day centre costs

v  Conflicting information from different people about what can be claimed

v  Not clear what needs to be proved as a NEED

v  Social workers don’t want ADKC to help

v  Members feel bullied and are forced to use other agencies for assistance

Assessment:

v  Send letter to members to advice what our rights are

v  More advice needed

v  Need to put everything that must come out

v  ALL needs to be assessed i.e. Physical and mental health

v  When social workers assess the individual, it seems as though they want to decrease the money rather than help and increase it

v  Clear and transparent breakdown of calculations should be given by law

v  End result is the most important aspect

Review:

v  Too many reviews and forms.

v  Members don’t always understand what is being asked

v  Very stressful and sometimes not necessary

v  Need to be holistic i.e. everything that’s disability related must be looked at

v  Query questions always answered only upon a new review

v  Reviews made when Member hasn’t even started a Personal Budget

Using:

v  Always computer delays in money arrival

v  Not flexible on how money can be used

v  Leave people alone unless a real need for change is needed

v  Too strict and difficult to understand

v  Unaware what we are entitled to

v  Whole process upsetting and lower members self esteem

v  Make members feel like beggars

Next meeting: 30^th March, 1.30-3.30 at the London Lighthouse

PB meeting 6th May - your chance to have your say about PB services

For our next meeting, on the 6th May, we will be joined by members of the Personalisation team at the Council.

There will only be one item on the agenda - The PB group has already started thinking of some "headlines" that we want to bring up - we need your ideas too!

In yesterday's meeting we asked-
1. What is the problem
2. Why is it a problem

So far we have had ideas such as:

• Lack of clear information - problem because you don't know all the possibilities of how to use PBs / you might use the PB in the wrong way and then have to pay the money back / lose your PB
• No continuity - problem because you can't build up a relationship with the Social worker, you have to repeat the same things over and over again
• No transparancy of how money is allocated - problem because some of the needs that have been brought up in the assessment don't seem to have any money allocated
• No PB increase - problem because people are not going to be able to afford the care they are currently getting - choice and control is lost.

The first hour of the meeting will be dedicated to coming up with more issues people want to bring up - if you can't come to the meeting - please feel free to email/ call us with your suggestions - the more people that can have a say the better!

New - How the Social Care Sector is becoming like the airline industry - community care

How the social care sector is becoming like the airline industry

Brian Munday

Monday 07 March 2011 16:42

Airlines and supermarkets show that cheap services can be provided without compromising too much on quality. Social care could take note, writes Brian Munday
The architects of the UK's welfare state never imagined that fee-paying customers would purchase social care in the same way that people buy airline tickets or supermarket food, with trade-offs between price and quality. Why is this happening?
First, there is personalisation, which turns council-funded service users into purchasers through personal budgets.
Second, there are the cuts councils are making to adult social care. Contracted external providers are under pressure to make do with no increase in fees or even reductions. "Value" for commissioners now means the lowest price at an acceptable, but not necessarily high-quality, level.
Third is the growing market of self-funding care users, many of whom fit into Labour leader Ed Miliband's category of the "squeezed middle": those who are not well-off but are ineligible for state-funded residential care because they have assets of more than £23,000.
This all amounts to one inescapable conclusion - purchasers of social care will make choices based on what they decide is the price and quality level they can afford.
Care providers may have a lot to learn from the likes of Sainsbury's and the budget airlines.
In both cases, cheaper options at lower but acceptable quality have been introduced in response to demand. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range is great if you can afford it. If not, its Basics produce is cheaper and acceptable.
Scope for alternatives
An airline ticket including a meal and drinks is fine at a price; otherwise dispense with the extras and just buy the seat. The pilot is qualified. So what scope is there for cheaper alternatives of acceptable quality in social care?
The trend in residential care has been upwards in quality and price, with a growing gap between the fees paid by self-funders and by councils, as the former compensate for the relatively low fees paid by the latter.
In this scenario the pressure on providers to develop the equivalent of Sainsbury's Basics range will grow. It is the larger providers that will have to develop a wider range of products to include cheaper care. For example, in care homes we could see: smaller rooms; shared bathrooms instead of individual en-suites; rooms in less attractive parts of the building.
This may seem mean and too much like the budget airlines, but if it reduces the weekly cost to the private fee payer by at least £50 a week it could be very attractive.
The pressure towards more affordable domiciliary care services is as great for two reasons. Higher eligibility levels for domiciliary care leaves more people paying for services.
Also, hourly rates paid to personal budget holders for care can be up to 50% lower than the rate councils pay agencies through block contracts.
Under these pressures, personal budget holders can reduce their costs by contracting care agencies for fewer visits with shorter durations. They can also save money by using relatives or personal assistants, rather than agencies.
The budget airline approach suggests that a cheaper but safe service can be offered by stripping down the service to the basic minimum, with perhaps guaranteed call times for care a chargeable extra, for example.
Then there is the issue of regulation. In Italy there is a strong cultural resistance to residential care which, in any case, is scarce and expensive.
Many older people are cared for in their own homes 24/7 by illegal immigrant carers, mostly from eastern Europe.
This arrangement suits the older person not wanting to go into residential care; their families for cost and convenience reasons; the care workers who have a job; and the public authorities that do not have to provide care.
There is much to criticise about this form of care but it has become embedded in the Italian welfare system. There are schemes for live-in carers in the UK that may not always be part of the regulated system. People find their own forms of affordable care, which may be satisfactory to them but raise wider concerns.
In an article last year, Community Care quoted the case of a couple who spent £670,000 on care bills. As an increasing proportion of people needing social care pay for their services, they will inevitably become as discerning and cost-conscious as the customers of the budget airlines and the supermarkets.
Providers of social care need to adapt quickly to this new reality that is a far cry from what the founders of the welfare state intended.
Brian Munday is honorary senior research fellow in international social care at Kent University

website of interest - The Hardest Hit - Benefit Cuts

For all of you who are interested: a group of people campaining against the reforms to welfare changes have set up a new website to keep people informed of changes, ways to campaign / protest and other aspects of the impact of the changes on disabled people.

Their website is at http://www.hardesthit.org.uk/

Employers - Employer's CD ROM

If you have been using the Employer's CD-rom to help with your payroll you will have to download the new "basic PAYE tool" for the next tax year - they will not send new CD-ROMs any more.

You can download the new "Basic PAYE Tool" at http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1086949755&r.l1=1073858808&r.l2=1083106843&r.l3=1083106693&r.l4=1086857322&r.s=sc&type=RESOURCES

Employers - new tax/ ni documents for 2011/2012

If you employ your own Personal Assistants / Care workers / Support workers and you do all the payroll yourself you will need all new documents from April 6th.

If you use the Simplified Dedection Scheme (this only applies to very few people) you can find all the new documents to download at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/simple_deduction/index.htm

If you use PAYE scheme (most people) you can find the documents for download at http://search2.hmrc.gov.uk/kbroker/hmrc/forms/payeforms.jsp

news - councils covertly changing adult care eligibility levels - Community Care

Councils 'covertly changing adult care eligibility levels'

Jeremy Dunning

Monday 14 March 2011 13:10

Councils are operating tighter eligibility thresholds for adult care than they claim publicly in order to manage cuts, an adult care director has claimed.

Some authorities have in practice raised their threshold without formally deciding to do so, claimed Ian Anderson, director of community services for Isle of Wight Council.

Anderson was defending the Isle of Wight's decision to raise its threshold from substantial to critical from 1 April.

"I think what we are doing on the Isle of Wight is being more honest with the community than probably other councils are," he said.

"I think a good number of other councils have effectively shifted their eligibility threshold informally but might formally still operate at a lower level."

Anderson's claim was backed up by other sector leaders.

David Congdon, head of campaigns and policy at Mencap, said he had heard of councils doing this.

Ruth Cartwright, joint manager for England at the BASW - The College of Social Work, said: "I think this has always been there. When things get a bit tricky there's always a bit of smoke and mirrors.

"Local authorities should be honest about what they can and can't do because they've got to be accountable."

Anderson said the problem related to the government's Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) guidance on eligibility for care, which states that councils must set a threshold at one of four levels: low, moderate, substantial and critical.

"As a tool it doesn't allow you to fine tune," he added.

However, Local Government Association strategic lead for adult care Andrew Cozens said he had not heard of councils covertly tightening thresholds.

"The guidance requires them to set a threshold in accordance with FACS criteria," he said. "Each must take their own advice on implications."

Isle of Wight's decision, which is designed to save £1.6m a year, puts it among a small but rising number of councils with a critical threshold. This means formal support is limited to those with life-threatening conditions, people unable to carry out vital personal care tasks or family roles or those at risk of serious abuse.

Anderson said that 1,100 care users would be reassessed on the island over a three-month period, starting shortly.

He said that most people would continue to be supported at a similar or increased level and those no longer considered eligible would still receive some support based on the risks they faced, along with information and advice.

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2011/03/14/116458/councils-covertly-changing-adult-care-eligibility-levels.htm

PLEASE NOTE THIS ARTICLE IS TALKING GENERALLY - NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT PLANS IN RBKC

News article - Most councils plan to raise charges or elegibility for care - Community Care

Most councils plan to raise charges or eligibility for care

Mithran Samuel

Wednesday 16 March 2011 00:04

More than half of councils have raised charges or eligibility thresholds for care in the past year or consulted on doing so, research has revealed.
One in five (21%) had raised eligibility thresholds or carried out a consultation, while a further 36% had done the same in relation to care charges, a Learning Disability Coalition survey of 60 authorities found.

Most councils who have consulted on raising charges have acted on their plans, Community Care has found.
The coalition, which represents charities, providers and user groups, said the impact of the cuts was potentially "catastrophic", particularly for people with moderate or mild learning disabilities.

"The cuts in funding mean that services [have] become more targeted on those with the most complex needs," said one respondent. "This has meant that there is little provision and support for people with mild to moderate needs meaning that these people only come in to the service in a crisis."

A separate survey of 300 people with learning disabilities, carers or family members found a third had been contacted by their council about an increase in eligibility criteria, and 27% had been contacted about increased charges.

"My sister, who has a diagnosis of severe learning disabilities, has had all her care removed, with funding cuts being cited as the reason," said one family member. "It is not possible for the family to replace this care, as well as the support the family were already providing. We are also not trained to give the specialist services needed. My sister is now suffering from serious neglect certainly due to funding cuts."

In terms of specific services at risk, 36% of councils said residential care was likely to be affected, 44% cited supported living and 48% day care.

"Councils across the country work tirelessly to provide the best possible level of social care so people in need can enjoy the respect and dignity they deserve," said David Rogers, chair of the Local Government Association's community well-being board. But he added: "Tough decisions are unavoidable. As the health select committee reported last year, the front-loaded cuts many town halls are having to manage may leave them little opportunity other than to restrict eligibility criteria and increase charges."

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2011/03/16/116437/most-councils-plan-to-raise-charges-or-eligibility-for-care.htm

News article - The nurturing power of Personalised Care - Guardian

The nurturing power of personalised care

Today is World Social Work Day. David Brindle makes the case for greater personalisation of care, which can be transformative for both users and social workers

 

Personalisation is social care's "big society". That's the arresting parallel drawn by a leading observer of the health and social care scene, Jon Glasby, director of the health services management centre at Birmingham University and a qualified social worker.

"The biggest risk is that we overcomplicate things, kill any innovation and set staff up to fail," Glasby told directors of adult social services at a recent seminar. Personalisation, he warned, was "very vulnerable in the current political and financial context".
Like the government's vision of big society, personalisation of care and support has the potential to be transformative. Like big society, it shifts power from the state to the individual and the community. But like big society, too, it is clear that personalisation is not something that will happen spontaneously: it requires buy-in from, and active promotion by, professionals – particularly social workers.

"Personal budget-holders need consistent contact with a worker who knows their circumstances," says Sarah Carr, senior research analyst at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (Scie). "Staff who support people with personal budgets need to know the options, risks and processes." Carr is author of Personalisation, Productivity and Efficiency, a new report from Scie that seeks to assess whether personalisation – specifically self-directed support, personal budgets and direct payments – can deliver efficiency savings. It is, she concludes, still too soon to make definitive judgments about this on the basis of England's Putting People First (PPF) programme, which started in 2008 with the aim of personalising local authority adult social care.

However, the report does acknowledge that "there is some evidence to suggest that self-directed support and personal budgets could lead to improved outcomes in individual cases for the same cost". Moreover, it says, "integrated working, early intervention and prevention services implemented as part of personalisation can result in cost savings".
This month marks the end of PPF funding. Those overseeing the programme are confident of achieving the April milestone of having at least 30% of eligible service users on personal budgets and/or direct payments. But there is still resistance to the idea among some professionals, who see it as a challenge to their role and a disguised means of cutting state support.
Scie accepts that personalisation presents challenges to social workers. In its position statement on the subject, the organisation says that: "It means accepting that a social worker is not in control, but is working in partnership with the person using services to achieve the best outcome for that person." But achieving personalisation should lead to greater job satisfaction for staff, it continues, "because it will mean that they can provide more tailored and effective care than through the traditional service model".

A short film on Social Care TV, Scie's online service, shows the impact that personalisation has had in Hull. As Ellie Namih, assessment officer at Hull city council, puts it: "It's no longer about what we can do for them; it's about how we fit into their world – which is a bit of a change." The film focuses on Carl Evans, 57, who has a learning disability and lives with his brother, who is also learning disabled, and their mother, June. The brothers have until recently been supported entirely within the family and, in the words of their sister and primary carer, April, had "never seen a social worker up until 18 months ago".

Social worker Wendy Curry began to work with Evans because he was becoming withdrawn. She found he had a passion for gardening and arranged for him to have a personal budget, which he uses to attend a horticultural project and to employ an assistant to help him pursue his interest. According to Curry, this has helped Evans develop some independence and given his mother and sister a break. "It is just so rewarding," says Curry. "I couldn't have done that under the old system."
Namih believes that personalisation allows social workers to get back to the fundamentals of the job. She advises fellow professionals: "Think about your person-centred thinking when you did your qualifications, because it [personalisation] is a really positive move in that direction."
Helen Sanderson, a consultant who works with local authorities on implementing personalisation, says: "What could the future be like? Well, I think social workers who are passionate about delivering person-centred services, and really listening to people, and problem-solving with people, will be getting a lot of satisfaction out of seeing the changes that they are making."
With the conclusion of PPF, the personalisation drive is to be maintained by Think Local, Act Personal, a coalition of 24 organisations across the social care sector. And social work has been put on notice not to take its eye off the ball. As Think Local's founding agreement says: "Organisational and professional culture and practices will need to adapt to facilitate greater freedom for people and their communities to shape their support."

The original article and comments that people have made about this article can be found on http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/15/world-social-work-day-personalised-care

News article - role of the internet in Personal care budgets - Guardian

The internet will be king for the administration of personal care budgets

Increased choice for service users means care providers targeting people's personal care budgets must boost their online presence, says Neil Barr

The government's Think Local, Act Personal proposals mean that people can spend their personal care budgets where they like, and service providers will have to compete for business.

The social care sector is in a state of flux. The changes to be implemented as part of the government's 'Think Local, Act Personal' proposals will have a dramatic effect on the ways in which people are able to source and choose care.

Those who need support will have a large degree of choice in where their care comes from and which body is able to provide the best value assistance. Personal care budgets will inevitably result in more competition between agencies while a demand is being placed upon providers to offer a flexible and more diverse range of innovative services.
It will be vital for organisations to adapt to these shifting conditions. Future operations will be dependant on being able to provide easily accessible information for all client groups, regardless of age or disability.
In recent years, digital communication has become integral to our daily lives. The seemingly endless ways in which the medium can help us on a routine basis never ceases to astonish. Many sectors saw the potential of 'going online' from the outset but lots of organisations are still unaware of the value which a strong digital presence can bring.
As the government moves away from a rigid and paternal system of care to one which hands personal choice to the individual, information exchange is becoming increasingly important.
The internet can help to educate and support users. The personalisation agenda is best supported if agencies are encouraged to help people make informed decisions from easily viewable information.

Internet is best

Presenting information in a smart, user friendly and attractive manner is becoming an increasingly important dimension in providing any front line service, with websites acting as the public's window to service providers.
Complimenting this is the interaction between organisations and their clients, cementing online communication as superior to other mediums. The modern internet holds the potential for service providers to reassure people by offering easy, quick and cheap methods of communication. Being able to receive and respond to feedback, offer online advice and allow vulnerable people to apply for help from their homes are now basic communication requirements in an inter-connected world.
The government envisages a system where people feel closer to those who provide key services, no longer hidden behind a maze of red tape and bureaucracy. Such affinity can be built up over time through enhanced levels of communication. Newsletters and forums keep people up to date with developments with the click of a mouse while advice can be offered via email. More and more services can now be offered online with stronger levels of community interactions being the intended result.
To put these factors into perspective one only has to look at the level of internet usage in the United Kingdom. Since 2006, online access has almost doubled, with 60% of the population using the internet everyday. The Government aims for the entire population to have broadband access of at least 2mb by 2015 which is another striking indicator of the importance of joining the digital age. The rise of the 'silver surfer' (those internet users over 65) is an telling development which the social care sector needs to take into account, illustrated by the 7% of over 65s who have a social networking account.
By offering the public the ability to choose their service provider, organisations are going to be competing for the same client areas. An increased demand for value will be met with a need for greater levels of updated information to be readily available.

see article and comments others have made on http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2011/mar/17/internet-administration-personal-care-budgets

Do you employ Personal Assistants / care wokers? Successful working relationship study.

If you employ your own Personal Assistants or care workers you might be interested in research about what makes a successful working relationship.

You can find this research on the Skills for Care website : http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.aspx?lID=7117&sID=2006