Introduction

We saw in Chapter Eight how members of black and minority ethnic communities were often isolated from support and mainstream services. But while they face particular barriers, the difficulties all service users face in getting the support they need seems to be a much broader problem. Again it has much to do with the way that services work and their lack of fit with service users’ lives and experience. In this chapter we look in more detail at these difficulties and how they may be overcome, particularly through supporting people to be in a stronger position as service users to engage with services and support systems. Issues of capacity building are key here.

Whatever system of support is available to ensure people can live as independently as possible, the first requirement is that it is readily available and accessible to them. This is no less true if the ambition is to move on from traditional approaches, to provide person-centred support. Indeed it may be that the need is even greater with person-centred support.

What distinguishes person-centred support from traditional serviceled approaches to social care and social services is that it is essentially an interactive process.