TLAP response to White Paper consultation

TLAP has facilitated a sector-wide response to the Department of Health's Caring for our Future White Paper Consultation, which ran between September and December 2011.

We think that the views, experiences and expectations of people who use services, carers and citizens should be at the centre of any future care and support system. our response to the consultation is therefore largely contained within Making it Real - Marking Progress Towards Personalised, Community-Based Support.

Building on this, we facilitated a number of discussions amongst the TLAP Partners and have developed an additional paper which compiles the views of over 90 representatives from national and local providers, people who use services and user-led and third sector organisations.

This summary report is not intended to represent the views of individual organisations. Rather, it reflects the key elements of the Making it Real markers agreed by TLAP Partners, and the views and ideas gathered at a number of workshops, including a national partnership event held on 23 November 2011 at the Kia Oval in London

Some of the recommendations for both government and the wider sector when it comes to reforming the care and support system included:

1. The establishment of national information portal that signposts where people can go to get advice, information, support and advocacy.
2. Skilling up of the informal and formal work force to create citizen-centred services across the whole system, not just social care.
3. Tackling age discrimination so the contribution of older people in their communities is fully recognised.
4. Building on the approach developed by Making it Real - to ensure care and support takes into account the aspirations of people who use services and their families.
5. A focus on outcomes achieved for people as an indicator of success, rather than ONLY the take up of personal budgets.

You can read the summary report here.

A number of prominent TLAP members CO-LED the discussion groups for the Caring for our Future consultation. ADASS President and TLAP Co-Chair Peter Hays co-led the discussion on a diverse and responsive care market; while TLAP board member and Shared Lives Plus CEO Alex Fox co-led the Prevention and Early intervention discussion. Other TLAP Board members with a prominent role in the reference groups included Sharon Allen - Chief Executive Officer, Skills for Care (Quality); Miranda Wixon - Managing Director, Home Care Partnership, Martin Routledge - Programme Manager, Think Local Act Personal and Bridget Warr - Chief Executive, United Kingdom Homecare Association Limited (Personalisation of care); and Dame Philippa Russell - Chair of the Standing Commission on Carers (Integration).

ENDS"