Making it real - celebrating first anniversary with new support tools

TLAP is celebrating the first anniversary of Making it Real with the launch of a series of practical tools.

Making it Real encourages organisations that pay for or provide social care services to get real about improving people's lives. Since TLAP launched Making it Real in May 2012, more than 400 organisations, including 65 councils, have publicly declared a commitment to changing the way older and disabled adults experience care and support.

The three tools launched today - Making it Real for Carers, Making it Real for People with Dementia and Whose Shoes?® - Making it Real have been developed to further help with this process. They include practical examples of what organisations are doing to transform their services, in partnership with the people who use them and will help people to understand and engage in the personalisation of the care and support agenda.

Think Local Act Personal co-chair Clenton Farquharson and key contributor to Making it Real's development, says:
"Making it Real builds links between professionals, service providers and the community to spread knowledge and encouragement, share problems and collectively develop new ways of working."

ADASS President Sandie Keene, who sits on the TLAP Board as lead for Making it Real, says:
"Making it Real starts a new kind of conversation. The strong set of resources launched today will continue to help us shift the way we coordinate and commission care so it is more transparent and accountable to what people say they really need and want."

Dr Moira Fraser, Director of Policy and Research at Carers Trust, a key partner in the project, says:
"We think this project will help organisations work with carers in a new way and to think about how they are making personalisation real. We are hopeful they will develop their own plans for taking Making It Real forward."

Larry Gardiner, International speaker and dementia advocate, living with dementia says:
"It has never been so timely to remind policy makers, commissioners and the front line staff in Health and Social care organisations that each individual is a precious human being. Whose Shoes? - Making It Real goes a step beyond raising awareness; it engages emotionally as well as intellectually."