Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Notes on contributors
- Acknowledgements
- one Introduction
- two The organisational context
- three Young people leaving care: transitions to adulthood
- four Transitions for young people with learning disabilities
- five Young people with mental health problems
- six Transitions for young people seeking asylum
- seven From service provision to self-directed support
- eight Transitions to supported living for older people
- nine From hospital to community
- ten Taking transitions forward
- Index
seven - From service provision to self-directed support
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 July 2022
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Notes on contributors
- Acknowledgements
- one Introduction
- two The organisational context
- three Young people leaving care: transitions to adulthood
- four Transitions for young people with learning disabilities
- five Young people with mental health problems
- six Transitions for young people seeking asylum
- seven From service provision to self-directed support
- eight Transitions to supported living for older people
- nine From hospital to community
- ten Taking transitions forward
- Index
Summary
Introduction
The current social care system in the UK is undergoing a period of radical transformation. This transformation and the accompanying transition from service provision to a model of self-directed support forms the focus of this chapter. There are many elements in transition throughout this change as the whole system is redesigned, with an overarching shift from service users as dependent, passive recipients of generic services with very little choice or say in the matter to independent, active decision makers with personalised choices and options available to them. This wholesale transition and the changes associated with it are explored.
Overview of policy and introduction to a system in transition
Direct payments and individual budgets have been major forces for change in adult social care, and there is considerable policy support for building on current progress and extending these concepts further in future. (Glasby and Duffy, 2007, p 5)
Direct Payments were first introduced in the UK in 1997 when local authorities were given a discretionary power to make payments to disabled people. The 1996 Community Care (Direct Payments) Act and its associated legislation was welcomed by the disability movement and considered a reward for a long campaign by the independent living movement and disabled people who were increasingly dissatisfied with the services available to them (Glasby and Littlechild, 2006). In 2003, the power to provide Direct Payments was replaced by a requirement for all local authorities to offer them to those assessed as needing community care services who wished to have them and were capable of managing their own support, with or without assistance (DH, 2003; Scottish Executive, 2003).
Ten years on from their introduction, the 2006 White Paper Our health, our care, our say (DH, 2006a) continues to add support to the policy of Direct Payments. The White Paper considers Direct Payments as key to personalised services and also made a commitment to developing a risk framework. The first update on the progress towards the goals in the White Paper – Making it happen (DH, 2006b) – includes a road map that plots the actions for implementation. It states that:
Working with CSIP [Care Services Improvement Partnership], we will gather and disseminate good practice and increase awareness of the benefits of direct payments among local authority frontline workers, senior staff and elected members, as well as among people who need support and their carers. (DH, 2006b, p 16)
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Managing TransitionsSupport for Individuals at Key Points of Change, pp. 93 - 112Publisher: Bristol University PressPrint publication year: 2009