DIRECT PAYMENTS AND THE MARKET David Leece Professor of Business and Management Studies Manchester Metropolitan University Janet Leece Honorary Research Fellow Staffordshire University

User-controlled support: benefits for users but what about workers? Take up so far Barriers to take up Financial flexibility versus market stability Developing the workforce of PAs A remodelled social work role Will it really be cheaper?

The Policy Background Government Commitment to Increasing Direct Payment Use ‘Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People’ (Prime Ministers Strategy Office 2005) ‘Independence, Well Being and Choice: Our Vision for The Future of Social Care for Adults in England’ (DH 2005) ‘Our health, our care, our say:a new direction for community services’ (DH 2006)

Table

Barriers to the Take Up of Direct Payments Fewer older people have direct payments. Lack of clear information. Low awareness by social workers. Attitudes regarding potential users capabilitities. Reluctance to transfer power. Inadequate support. To much paperwork and bureaucracy. Middle class/Managerial experience. Small care packages-worth the costs?

Challenges for Local Authorities The need for financial flexibility versus market stability. Workforce issue:will there be enough PAs? Low paid casualised workforce? Adequately funded by Government? The remodelled social work role. Are direct payments really cheaper than existing provision?

A Major Challenge? Is the challenge for local authorities to provide user- controlled support for more people, with less money and with an uncertain workforce? Users need to be able to offer reasonable terms and conditions of employment to attract employees, and pay a fair Wage.