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Independence, well-being and choice are the buzzwords for adults’ services this year, so it is heartening to see that they really work when put into practice. An evaluation of the In Control pilot scheme – which gives people with learning difficulties individualised budgets coupled with control over support – reveals that satisfaction with services doubled at no extra cost to
councils.

In fact, one of the councils piloting the self-directed support found that it actually made efficiency savings of 20 per cent. Extrapolate that figure across the country and that’s a big money saver.

In most cases, care managers thought the family and friends of the service user would be the most appropriate people to manage and plan the support service. And this freed them up to work on more complex cases – reassuring news for those fearing that this is the beginning of the end for care managers.

From the original six pilot authorities, 80 local authorities have now joined In Control working with a range of client groups. In  Control improves users’ quality of life while saving money; what better incentive for the remaining local authorities to sign up?

Related article
In Control pilots offer savings and a better quality of life, study finds