Page 20 - TLAP Beyond Direct Payments

Beyond Direct Payments
The way forward
The examples from Dorset and elsewhere show that we can overcome this resistance, and here are six strategies that will help:
1) Make ISFs the default option – Instead of defaulting to contracted services, start with the assumption that people can choose their support provider and can get exible support. (Some people may still prefer complete control using a direct payment, but it is not clear why anyone would prefer in exible support that they haven’t chosen.)
2) Open up new support options – Instead of offering people a narrow choice of options new organisations are free to offer themselves as potential ISF managers. Rather than relying on limited council lists or on CQC regulated care, any person or group is able to come forward to offer support. Quality control is provided through a community-based accreditation system; Dorset Council’s approach here is a good example of how to do this well.
3) Create new national indicators – In Scotland, where the equivalent of an ISF is called Option 2 (with direct payments as Option 1), there is clear commitment from central government to support this model and performance indicators re ect this fact (Dalrymple Macaskill & Simmons, 2017).
4) Issue new procurement guidance – Guidance on procurement has never been properly updated to re ect the principles of personalisation or of the Care Act 2014. Particularly as the UK leaves the EU there is an important opportunity to refresh and clarify the need for local government to support active citizenship and community development (Howells & Yapp, 2013; Rhodes, 2017).
5) Clarify the role of the planning – Too often care (or support) plans are treated as contracts, specifying how support should be provided, when in reality good support must be dynamic and created in a partnership between the person and their supporters. Social workers or independent planners should be less focused on developing a plan (which should always be exible and developed in partnership with the support provider).
Instead greater focus should be placed on helping people be aware of all their options – direct payments and beyond.
6) Clarify the role of auditing – There remains an ongoing tendency to over-audit personal budgets (including direct payments) by reference to a care plan or some restricted conception of what’s appropriate. This behaviour tends to undermine the core assumption of personalisation and the Care Act 2014 – people themselves know best how to use the available resources.
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