Choice and control for carers Activity eight powerpoint

Key principles for social reform Prevention ProtectionPartnership Personalisation Individual

Prevention Wherever possible individuals, families and communities are to be as self supporting as possible. Help provided to people to enable them to become experts in their own care. Low level support provided at the earliest stage to help individual to stay at home.

Protection Protecting vulnerable people. Keeping people safe and secure. Protecting what people have worked for during their lives.

Partnership Fair partnership between family and state. Fair partnership between cared for, carer and practitioner. Services respond to whole picture of a family circumstances.

Personalisation Giving people control of their lives. Choosing their own services. Having their own personal budget.

Individual budgets Focus on achieving own personal goals and aspirations through the pooling of budgets from different sources (social care, housing, welfare and perhaps NHS in the future). Commonly referred to as an individual budget.

Expertise Carers are experts on their own needs and the care needs of the cared for person.

Choice for carers Carers will make choices that meet their own aspirations, their own lifestyle, beliefs, cultures and tastes.

Culturally sensitive services Carer Services must be culturally sensitive to the needs of carers.

Best value Giving financial control to carers will often lead to best value. Spending money on a service which does not meet the desired outcome for a carer may prove to be a waste of public money.

Control gives flexibility Having financial control also provides flexibility – the carer may choose to spend more on a service one day and less (or even nothing) another day according to how they feel or are coping.

Choice over level of support Carers need to choose for themselves the level of support and advice they need in order to identify their own needs and find solutions.

Choice and control Having choice about what types of services will best meet own need. Having a choice about best mechanism by which to receive those chosen services e.g. receiving a cash Direct Payment.

Change in culture These reforms require complete change in the way we work. Brings risks but also opportunities. Recognises that carers are at the heart of the personalisation agenda. “The systems must be reformed – and in doing this we must be clear about the principles on which reform are based” (Andrew Lansley, 9 July 2010)