Personalisation: delivering a customised service

Posted by MST on July 8, 2009 | No Comments |  Print This Post |  Email This Post

Ruth Cartwright, Head of Quality and Improvement, talks about the agenda of personalised care and support services.

Where we are now

We are part-way through a business transformation project which has identified the changes needed to our business processes (see “Holding all the aces”).

We already have many systems and an infrastructure which we will be able to adapt to the new commissioning environment. For example, we have in place an IT-based system that can produce the quantity and type of reports which will be demanded from a ‘shared care’ environment involving service users, carers, support brokers, care managers and commissioners.

Our support planning is outcome-based and has service users’ views at the centre. We will soon be adding to our performance management reporting the ability to produce support outcome reports for all our services.

Of course, the change we are managing is also about changing culture and behaviour. Our Board and staff are being prepared and supported to make the necessary shifts and we’ve engaged with service users to add their perspective.

Keeping hold of the vision

We’re aware that delivering the type of customised services the personalisation agenda requires raises a number of significant challenges for providers. This transformation project is going to be happening during a period of diminishing public funding for social care.

It is vital therefore that the change does not become one where the parties involved merely protect their own interests and in the process lose sight of the vision. It is the vision which will sustain the partnerships required to deliver this ambitious transformation.

Piloting services

We’ve been part of a personalisation pilot in south London, delivering day services as an alternative to traditional day centre provision. We’re enthusiastic about participating in other pilots too. Contact Ruth Cartwright or on 020 7501 2237.