‘Whole system change’ needed in social care say users

A new study into the needs of social care users has revealed that a ‘whole system change’ is required to deliver a tailored service for individuals.

The Transfomring Social Care study, organised by Brunel University and the Commission for Social Care Inspection, was the the first to ask service users what they want for future social care and how they think it can be achieved.

The findings are supported by 18 major social care organisations, bringing together key policymakers and a wide range of service users.
 
It says that one year in, the government’s three year plan for the radical transformation of social care to personalisation, is overshadowed by inadequate funding and recession and asked ‘How is the momentum for change to be maintained and what do service users want that change to look like?’
 
Users identified a ‘radical and coherent programme for reform’ that goes far beyond the expansion of personal budgets, demanding:
 
    * Greater user involvement
    * An improved workforce
    * Better, more appropriate services
    * Improved funding
    * A universal, not means-tested service
    * Policy and provision based on rights and independent living
    * An holistic approach to service users – seeing them as a whole person and linking up policies
    * Improved less bureaucratic social care organisations

To achieve these changes users stressed the importance of:
 
    * Making social care more attractive to gain it more support
    * More campaigning, lobbying and alliance building for social care
    * Education from childhood on about the role and importance of social care
    * More effectively engaging the media
    * Challenging negative stereotyping, stigma and prejudice associated with social care
    * Supporting a stronger voice for service users

Author of the report and and service user, Peter Beresford, said: ‘The lesson from what people say is that if we want personalised social care, we need whole system change and a new participatory strategy to achieve it. We must be honest about the scale of the challenge.’

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