New TLAP Programme Director Announced

Dr Sam Bennett has been appointed the new Programme Director for Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) - the sector-wide Partnership taking forward work on personalising care and support.

Sam, who is currently a Director at Groundswell Partnerships, will join TLAP before the end of the year.

TLAP co-chairs Sarah Pickup and Bill Davidson said: "We are delighted to appoint Sam, who has shown real energy and passion for delivering personalisation over the last eight years. His commitment is clearly evident from his work in health and social care at local, regional and national levels, including for TLAP and the National Market Development Forum. Sam's ability to work with different groups to forge consensus across a wide range of issues will be a valuable asset to the Partnership."

Sam said: "It is an honour to take on this important role. I can think of no better place to be to shape and support this crucial phase of social care transformation. As a genuinely sector-led Partnership that brings together a diversity of talents and perspectives, I have no doubt that TLAP will continue as a force for positive change in the sector. I welcome the challenge of working with the Partnership and all its members to drive forward the vision of personalisation and community-based support."

TLAP's programme manager since launching in April 2011, Martin Routledge, will move to focus on his work as Head of Operations for In Control, but will continue to deliver key projects for the Partnership. He said: "I am delighted that TLAP has secured the services of Sam. Having had the pleasure of working closely with him in recent years, I know there is no more passionate and skilled advocate of personalisation and that the Partnership will now go from strength-to-strength."

Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence, and chair of the recruitment panel on behalf of TLAP said: "The new Director post was created to build on the success of the now well established Partnership. I would like to thank everyone who applied. Having appointed Sam from a strong field, we are confident he will help us make a difference for people who use care and support services."

Think Local Act Personal will be at this week's National Children's & Adult Services Conference in Eastbourne on Stand 32.

Notes to editors:
• Dr Sam Bennett worked on and then managed one of the original individual budgets pilots before becoming Programme Manager for Personalisation for his Local Authority. He joined the Care Services Improvement Partnership in 2007, where he authored key sections of the National Personalisation Toolkit, before joining the Department of Health in 2008 to support the implementation of Putting People First (PPF). As the programme's lead for commissioning and market development he worked alongside councils, regions and provider organisations to shape policy and practice and share learning about what works in delivering fully personalised care and support. For Groundswell Partnership, he has continued to work with providers, central and local government and people with care and support needs, their carers and families to take forward personalisation and community based support.

• Think Local Act Personal is an alliance of over 30 national social care partners committed to improving the delivery of personalised, community-based support. The Partnership brings together people using social care and family carers to work alongside central and local government, major provider bodies, the third and voluntary sector and other key groups.

• TLAP is co-chaired by: Sarah Pickup, President of Association of Directors of Adult Social Services; Miranda Wixon on behalf of the Care Providers Alliance; Sue Bott, Director of Disability Rights UK and Bill Davidson, from the National Co-production Advisory Group.

• Further information: Jaimee Lewis, Senior Communications Adviser, Tel 07850 774453 www.thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk