Direct payment users treasure their relationships with their personal assistants, but can feel uncomfortable on pay dayBy Simon HengOne of the great things about being trained as a cognitive behavioural therapist is that I can now lead a guilt-free existence, which, as I was brought up in the faith which relies on guilt for its ongoing membership, I take as a personal achievement.
Continue reading "'I feel embarrassed when I pay my personal assistants'" »
by Peter Beresford
There's a simple truth emerging about the future of social work and
social care. As service users, practitioners and carers, people clearly
want the greater choice and control that 'personalisation' promises to
offer. Well who wouldn't? But they don't want to be set up to fail and
they have some very big questions which demand answers.
Continue reading "Remaking the future of social care and personalisation: Listen to what people say" »
Service
users and their families need access to independent information and advice if
personalisation is to work, says Stephen Burke
Continue reading "First things not first" »
By Steve Arthington
Amid talk of choice and freedom, service users must remember they also gain more responsibility under personalised services
Continue reading "Direct payments, personalisation... who now cares for whom?" »
By Simon Stevens
In the 1980s, the US was seen as a country where the customer was always right. I have the image of a large American in a restaurant ordering his fries, telling the waiter the precise temperature he expects them to arrive at the table at. But that level of confidence, or maybe arrogance, requires a high degree of information, where the customer ends up knowing more about the product than anyone who works for the company does.
Continue reading "Information is power in the personalisation age" »
By Simon Heng
I'm a service user because I'm physically disabled, paralysed from the neck downwards, the result of a tumour on my spinal cord, 14 years ago. I was one of the first people in my area to try direct payments and I'm one of its success stories.
Continue reading "The care workers who fail in their duty" »
Social care needs plans but we should subordinate them to the realities of being human - after all we can't all hit our targets.
By Nigel Leaney
Continue reading "Plans and targets: remember the human factor" »
By Martin Routledge
The goal of a social care that is designed with, and directed by the people who use it will require everyone's goodwill and effort
Continue reading "Steering through change" »