Social care leaders have agreed a new definition of what quality support means and the responsibilities they each share for delivering it through coproduction with people with care and support needs.
This important development spells out how we can all strive for the best quality and tackle the shocking examples of sub-standard care and abuse highlighted by the Mid Staffordshire Hospital and Winterbourne View scandals.
“Driving up quality in adult social care” is a new set of briefings from The Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) Partnership. For the first time, they bring together the views of commissioners, providers, regulators, standard setters and people who use services and their families and carers to agree what quality social care is, the principles that underpin it and who is responsible.
This follows a “Caring for our Future” White Paper commitment that called for clarity on what good quality care looks like and what people should expect when using care and support services.
The briefings call for care where the person using it is at its centre, enables personal outcomes to be achieved and builds relationships based on dignity and respect. The voices of people who use care and support – who were involved right through the project – are critical to the debate of what quality social care means and how it can be sustained and improved. The briefings also set out what each part of the sector has agreed to take responsibility for in driving up quality.
Norman Lamb, Minister of State for Care Services, has written the foreword for the briefings and says:
“Caring for Our Future set out that the social care system should promote people’s independence and wellbeing and that people should have control of their own care and support and be able to make choices right for them. In reality, far too many people face a daily struggle with simple tasks, fear, loneliness and isolation and face the prospect of dependence on services that do not treat them with dignity or respect. Ensuring we know what quality care and support is, how we sustain and improve it and whose job it is to do so is central to redressing the balance.”
Bill Mumford, Chair of TLAP’s National Market Development Forum and the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG), says:
“At its heart, good quality care is about good relationships. This is everybody’s business and there can be no excuse for failure. Through TLAP, we have secured high profile leadership from across the sector for what good quality in social care looks like and have consulted widely with people who use services, family carers, service providers, commissioners, sector improvement agencies and Department of Health. It is clear we all have a role to play to help ensure quality outcomes in social care. These documents should be read by all and made real by our actions.”
Sam Bennett, Director of Think Local Act Personal, says:
“There are few things as important as the quality of care and support people can rely upon when they need it. Some of this comes down to personal preferences and the ability to have choice and control over how things work day to day. But still more relates to the way we treat people as individuals and to the quality of the relationships we build. TLAP are delighted to have developed this important quality framework and hope it will provide a touchstone for everyone with a role and an interest in ensuring people have the quality care and support they expect and deserve.”
Des Kelly OBE, Executive Director of the National Care Forum, says:
“In developing the series of papers about quality, the underpinning principles, the shared responsibilities for driving up quality and standards, the importance of systems of quality assurance and ensuring that people receiving care and support are fully engaged in determining outcomes, TLAP has sought to work closely with all key stakeholders. The process has enabled TLAP to co-produce a set of practical statements that can be used in many different ways to improve the provision of care and support services. We welcome feedback on how they are used and the difference they make.”
Sandie Keene ADASS Vice President says:
“This is another strong document from Think Local; Act Personal which will contribute enormously to the objective of making sure social care is never complacent about quality. Despite the austerity of the times there is no excuse for failing to provide people in need of our help services set at the very highest standards possible. Driving up Quality in Social Care will do just that.”
Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence, says:
“We all know what good care feels like when we get it – but it can be difficult to define, and even harder to deliver consistently. SCIE was delighted to work with TLAP on this practical series of briefings which sets out in clear language what good care looks like and how we can all contribute to improving quality. For our part, we will continue to support the sector to deliver person-centred care through our innovative range of resources and services.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The work has been overseen by a steering group including senior leadership from:
- National Co-production Advisory Group (people who use services, carers and families)
- Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
- Care Quality Commission
- The National Care Forum
- The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group
- United Kingdom Home Care Association
- Registered Nursing Homes Association
- English Community Care Association
- Community Catalysts
- Skills for Care
- Care Quality Commission
- Social Care Institute for Excellence
- Department of Health
- Office of Public Management
Workshops to further develop this material were also held with all key stakeholders including representatives from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, Healthwatch, NHS Confederation, National Voices and the National Skills Academy.
TLAP will undertake further work on driving up quality in social care including engaging with the Nuffield Trust quality ratings and hosting a forum with interested partners to move the agenda forward.
