personalised care

Modelling the relationship between needs and costs: how accurate resource allocation can deliver personal budgets and personalisation

Resource allocation systems based upon measures of need are one widely adopted approach to estimating the cost of the individual service user's care package in a manner directly proportionate to individual need.

However, some recent studies have questioned the feasibility and utility of such systems, arguing that the relationship between needs and costs cannot be modelled with sufficient accuracy to provide a useful guide to individual allocation. In contrast, this paper presents three studies demonstrating that this is possible.

Carers and personalisation: what roles do carers play in personalised adult social care?

The Social Policy Research Unit examined how current English adult social care practice balances the interests of service users and family carers, in assessment, planning, on-going management and reviews of personal budgets, particularly when budget-holders have cognitive or communication impairments.

The study examined senior local authority perspectives, everyday practice by frontline staff and experiences of service users and carers.

Putting people into personalisation: relational approaches to social care and housing

Paper that argues that 'demand-side' reforms such as Direct Payments do not on their own result in a change of provision in the care and support market. It asks what 'supply-side' reforms might be needed in order to bring real choice - the choice about the shape of their lives - to those newly 'empowered' 'consumers'.

Draft self-directed support statutory guidance on care and support

Document that contains draft statutory guidance on the values, principles legal duties and powers associated with social care assessment, support planning and review. The guidance covers adults, children, young carers and adult carers. It has been developed by Scottish Government with contributions from a joint working group of key partners which included the Association of Directors of Social Work, Self Directed Support Scotland, Independent Living in Scotland, the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland and the Carer’s Trust.

Housing and personalisation: points on practice

Briefing which reflects on the experience of housing support providers delivering services through personalised funding arrangements and consider what has been working well, as well as highlighting some issues that have been more challenging. Particular attention is paid to support planning and to the financial arrangements associated with direct payments and individual service funding.

The effect of free personal care for the elderly on informal caregiving

A comprehensive analysis based on a “natural experiment”: the introduction of free personal care for the elderly that was implemented in Scotland in 2002, but not elsewhere in the UK. Under The Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act, people aged 65 and over are entitled to a flat rate payment of £145 per week and those who receive care in a nursing home receive an additional £65 per week. These funds are separate from living and housing costs and are intended specifically for personal care.

How self-directed support is failing to deliver personal budgets and personalisation

Discussion paper on why the underpinning notion of self directed support seems to have failed in its ambitions. It also looks at how the concepts of personalisation and personal budgets associated with self-directed support may retain value if interpreted in an appropriate way, delivered through an appropriate strategy.