Charity calls for new approach to social care

A charity has called for local authorities and the NHS to move away from traditional approaches to social care for older and disabled people and look to new approaches such as social enterprises and family-based care, in a report published today.

In the report, the National Association of Adult Placement Services (NAAPS UK) argues that the introduction of personal budgets and direct payments has not resulted in greater choice and control for people, as they still have a narrow list of care providers to choose from.

The charity’s Cuts Or Putting People First? report calls for councils and the NHS to develop a wider range of social care providers so people can choose care tailored to their needs.

NAAPS UK is urging the Department of Health to mark a departure from more traditional care providers in its new vision for social care, currently being drafted ahead of next year’s White Paper.

It particularly wants to see local authorities developing their Shared Lives (formerly Adult Placement) provision.

Shared Lives involves carers agreeing to include a vulnerable or frail adult in their family and community life. Often an older or disabled person goes to live with the Shared Lives family on a long-term or permanent basis.

The NAAPS UK report reveals Shared Lives can make 60% savings in comparison to residential care. Just 10 new long term arrangements could generate savings of between £23,400 (for older people) and £517,400 (for learning disabilities) each year, compared to traditional forms of residential care.

One social enterprise featured in the report is Funky Fitness and Fun in Oldham, which was set up by a Shared Lives carer and provides activities for disabled people in a community centre.

The programme of activities is co-designed by the 15 people who use the service and service users say they prefer to pay for this service rather than a personal assistant as it is cheaper, better and they get to meet people and make friends.

Alex Fox, chief executive officer of NAAPS UK, said: “Even in areas where personal budgets and direct payments have become the norm, older and disabled people very often find themselves choosing from the same narrow menu of support providers.

“In some cases, the introduction of personal budgets has made it harder, rather than easier, for niche providers to survive, particularly where funding is being cut to all but the most well-established kinds of provision.

“We want to see councils and the NHS actively developing a range of providers, including small scale and family-based providers which have demonstrated themselves to be more efficient and lower cost through being tailored to individuals’ needs.

“The good news is Cuts or Putting People First? shows how ordinary people are demonstrating the optimism and entrepreneurial flair that we will need, to keep pressing forward with the choice and control agenda for older and disabled people.”

Richard Jones, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) said: “I welcome the challenge laid down by this report. It shows that highly personalised services such as Shared Lives, not always offered as a choice to older and disabled people, can make a real difference for individuals with needs which other services may not be able to meet affordably.

“This can mean savings for councils but more importantly can achieve better outcomes for older and disabled people and enable them to live their life the way they want. It is our responsibility as social care leaders to ensure that people not only have control over social care budgets but also a wide menu of services from which to choose which enable real choices to be made.”

NAAPS is a network of very small and family-based providers of care and support. It supports Shared Lives, Homeshare and a wide range of small community services set up by disabled people, families and communities. For more information visit www.naaps.org.uk.