Councils urged to sign up to new personalisation indicators

Councils and providers have been urged to sign up to a new suite of indicators on personalisation and publish details of their progress against them.

Sector coalition Think Local Act Personal has drawn up a series of markers in consultation with users and carers to define what successful personalisation looks like.

The “Making It Real” markers replace the milestones established by the last government to track progress on personalisation from 2008-11, which included having 30% of users and carers on personal budgets as of April 2011. The new set includes the coalition government’s target of having all users of ongoing council-funded support on personal budgets, preferably as direct payments, by 2013.

The indicators will not be compulsory but the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services will be encouraging members to use them and they will be expected to form part of local reports councils are due to publish from this year on their performance in adult care.

The Department of Health will also use them to inform the development of its national adult social care outcomes framework.

Besides the Making It Real process, TLAP will be carrying out a survey of service users next year to build up a picture of national progress on personalisation by next summer.

The indicators

● Everyone eligible receives ongoing council-funded support as a personal budget, in most cases as a direct payment.

● Self-funders receive the information and advice they need to have maximum choice and control.

● Direct payment users, self-funders and carers are supported in the recruitment, employment and management of personal assistants.

● Assessments are kept to a minimum, are portable, where possible, and do not cause difficulty or distress.

● Staff have the values, attitude, motivation, confidence, training, supervision and tools to facilitate the outcomes users and carers want for themselves.

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