My experience with social care is a lot like taking part in a hurdle race.
First, you take time to get READY and make contact. Then you STEADY yourself when you’re told you qualify for help and support. Finally, you GO – only to discover there are hurdles to overcome every few meters along the way.
I was told that a Direct Payment would give me choice and control over my life, letting me decide how my care and support needs are met rather than having them imposed on me. But in reality, that isn’t quite true.
Some of the hurdles are things that anybody involved in social care will be familiar with already: bureaucracy, funding constraints, and a risk-averse system. Too often, my care plan has been broken into 15-minute blocks, with money allocated in ways that suit the system, not me. I’ve been told exactly how and what I can spend it on – stripping away the personalisation, choice and control that’s meant to be at the heart of Direct Payments.
For many of us with disabilities or long-term health conditions, opportunities to have a genuine say – in ways that lead to real change – are rare. I’m fortunate to work with the National Co-production Advisory Group, and more often now I find myself in a position to influence. Last week, I had the privilege of speaking directly to staff working in social care about Direct Payments at an event in partnership with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services entitled ‘Direct Payments at Their Best’. Alongside colleagues, I helped co-produce a training day that showed staff what a difference it makes when things are done right. It’s my hope that sessions like this can help us identify some of the hurdles that are in people’s way – and work together to remove them altogether.
We shared real examples of how Direct Payments have been used: to buy a trike, a support dog, mental health support, even a log cabin in the garden. At first glance, some might ask what gives someone the right to purchase these things with public money. But when you hear the story behind each decision, you quickly see the life-changing impact.
Taking part in the training gave me the chance to explain why I spend my Direct Payment the way I do and how it transforms my daily life. We also talked about how risk is perceived. Too many people drawing on care and support feel untrusted, belittled, even insignificant because of how decisions are made. But life itself carries risks – for people using social care, for the system, and for society as a whole. Trust has to work both ways.
The discussions were varied and rich. My hope is that staff left with a renewed understanding of why change is needed, and the powerful difference that trust, flexibility, and true personalisation can make.
Collectively, we have opportunities to lower or even remove the barriers that are stopping social care from really working for people. If we do, the hurdle race of social care won’t feel so exhausting – it will become a course that people can navigate with dignity, confidence and control.
Learn more about how we can improve Direct Payments through our event and webinar series or by exploring our e-learning.
