Paths to Personalisation guide

"Personalisation? I know this is happening when I am treated with warmth, respect and honesty and when I don't have to fight all the time to get what I want to help me recover and live my life the way I choose to."
(Mental health expert by experience)

A new guide released today aims to increase the number of people with mental health problems experiencing the full benefits of personalised care and support. Currently, only 9% of people with mental health problems of working-age have a personal budget, compared to 29% of older people and 41% of adults with a learning disability.

Paths to Personalisation, published by the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), offers examples of what needs to be in place to make personalisation work in mental health. It provides examples drawn from latest practice and policy and up-to-date sources of advice for people. Coproduced with people who use mental health services and service professionals, the guide will help organisations meet government priorities to increase people's choice and control over the care and support they experience.

Rob Greig, Chief Executive of NDTi, said:
"The aim of Paths to Personalisation is to provide a tool to start checking what needs to be in place for personalisation in mental health, and planning what action can be taken to ensure that it is.

"Our experience of working with colleagues across the mental health system is that they're absolutely signed up to the principles of personalisation, and are looking for ways to translate this into practice for as many people as possible.

"Paths to Personalisation describes the wide range of things that need to be in place for a personalisation approach to be a common experience, not an exceptional one, for people with mental health needs."

Paths to Personalisation has linked its framework with Making it Real (opens new window), TLAP's set of progress markers which describes what people who use services and carers expect to see and experience if support services are truly personalised. Each section of the framework suggests which Making it Real progress marker it can help organisations deliver against.

Sam Bennett, Director of the Think Local, Act Personal partnership, said:
"People with mental health difficulties should experience the full benefits of personalised services, but research has shown attitudinal and cultural obstacles can get in the way. Paths to Personalisation helpfully demonstrates what needs to be in place for personalised services in mental health.

"By helpfully linking to the Making it Real progress markers, organisations can take another step towards ensuring the services they commission or provide truly reflect what people say they need so they can have more control in living full and independent lives."

TLAP and NDTi are hosting a one day Paths to Personalisation Conference on the 18 June 2013. The event has been designed to help people and organisations make sense of how to deliver personalisation for people with mental health needs.