North West social care organisations have highest take up of markers for personalisation in social care

Added: 24/10/2012

England's North West is leading the charge of social care organisations demonstrating how they're personalising care and support for people and families.

Fifty-seven providers, councils and voluntary groups have signed up to the markers of progress since their online launch in May. They join 222 others from across the country declaring their commitment to transforming social care based on what people who use services and carers say they expect to experience if support services are truly personalised.

Greater London is hot on the heels of the North West with 45 Making it Real organisations, followed by the South East with 31.

As leaders from across health and social care gather in Eastbourne for the National Children's and Adults Services Conference this week, Hertfordshire County Council has become the latest of 33 local authorities to sign up. The Yorkshire & Humber region has the greatest number of councils signed up.

The goal is to reach 1000 organisations by next Spring.

ADASS president, Director of Adult Services at Hertfordshire and TLAP Co-Chair Sarah Pickup says:

"As an outcomes framework, Making it Real is a step forward in transparently measuring our progress towards personalisation and community-based support. We share a vision for maximum choice, control and improved outcomes for people who use services and carers. We are demonstrating how it can be done by ensuring the views of these people are central to all our work."

ADASS Chair of the Personalisation Network Martin Farran says:

"The Making it Real markers provide the opportunity to monitor and evaluate progress, while linking qualitative feedback from people who use services and carers into their local accounts. Equally, our partners in delivering those services, the providers, are signing up too, signalling a move towards all key parties coming around the table to enable more productive local market relations."

Written by older and disabled people and family carers themselves, and supported by a major coalition of the social care sector's leading organisations, Making it Real sets out what people expect to see and experience if they are to have more choice, control and freedom to live as independently as possible. Making it Real organisations commit to publically sharing their Top Three priorities for change, publishing an action plan on how they will achieve those changes, and then reporting their progress.

TLAP at the National Children's and Adults Services Conference, Eastbourne, 24-26 October:

Delegates will hear the latest updates on Making it Real and how it can deliver on the vision of the Social Care White Paper during a sub-plenary session on Thursday 25 October 11:30am - 12:30pm in Towner Room 2. Speakers include:

• TLAP Co-chair and Disability Rights UK Director Sue Bott
• Director General for Social Care at the Department of Health Shaun Gallagher
• Macintyre Chief Executive and Chair of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group Bill Mumford
• Co-chair of Making it Real sub group Clenton Farquharson, who has been instrumental in embedding Making it Real in Birmingham City Council's approach to adult social care.