Can personalisation in social care succeed in a time of austerity?

Martin Routledge, TLAP's Self Directed Support Lead blogs for the Guardian Social Care Network asks can personalisation in social care succeed in a time of austerity?

" Can personalisation in social care succeed in a time of austerity? That question may well be the elephant in the room this week when care services minister Norman Lamb chairs a national summit, facilitated by sector partnership Think Local Act Personal (TLAP), bringing together government, sector leaders, people using social care and those responsible for local delivery.

Personalisation means building support around the individual and providing people with more choice, control and flexibility in the way they receive care and support. There is an argument that cuts to local budgets, reducing services and poorly paid staff may make it extremely difficult to offer anything but the most basic assistance to disabled and older people.

The Resolution Foundation last month published a report suggesting many home care workers are paid below minimum wage. Its spokesperson said "We hear a lot about the need for dignity in social care but how can we achieve that if care workers are under such pressure in their jobs and not even paid the basic wage?"

In such times, some may go so far as to ask what is the point of even talking about designing and delivering support with and around a person? Shouldn't the only focus be on making sure there is enough money in the system?

These questions cannot and should not be dodged but perhaps especially in times like these, it remains vital to look at what is working better and how this can become the norm. Data is often pretty scarce in social care, but recent research from the National Personal Budget Survey of more than 3,000 people and carers is showing us what leads to the best results.

It's becoming increasingly clear with personal budgets that there are strong connections between how they are delivered and the impact on people's live and also that experiences vary greatly from place to place. For example, where an older person is fully involved in planning their support they are four times more likely to report greater independence. Some places are achieving this for the many, some are not."

Read the full article on the Guardian Social Care Network