Blogs and articles

Anyone who has attended Shropshire Council’s sessions exploring direct payments knows that the call to, ‘think like a pirate', is meant to be a challenge to be brave and different. Our latest challenge is about our spoken and written language when we work with people who use council services.

Following a visit from the Royal Commission into Aged Care in Australia to TLAP, to explore how social care is for older people, Sanchi Murison reflects on what she learnt.

Words matter. Not a new thought, but it has to be said again and again. The words we choose can make something clear, or make it mysterious. They can help people understand, or confuse them more than ever. Words can invite the reader or listener ‘in’, or they can keep them ‘out’.

As I ready myself for NCASC 2019 in beautiful Bournemouth I’ve been thinking a lot about conferences. I’ve been wondering whether it’s time to create a different environment for hosting the most important conversations we need to have - conversations about creating a new social care future.

With less than a week to go until NCASC19 there is much excitement amongst members of the National Co-production Advisory Group (NCAG) who will be bringing some sparkle with them.

‘Twas the night before NCASC, when all through Bournemouth not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The microphones were assembled at the venue with care, in hopes that a social care future soon would be there.

Martin Walker’s road trip looking for stories of success in support planning takes him to the South West, where he meets someone managing care and support independently.

In today’s confrontational environment, Sanchi Murison asks if adopting the principles of Making of Real and co-production might be a better way to work.

I’m Rob Price, I work for Shropshire Council’s Adult Social Care Financial Assessment Team, and it’s my job to determine what citizens pay towards the cost of their care packages. Yes, it usually goes down well when I say that in front of the recipients of our direct payments.

How can independent brokerage support people to achieve their goals? TLAP’s Martin Walker visits Imagineer in Halifax on his road trip searching for stories of success in support planning.

As a former social care commissioner, I understand the pressure to deliver results that improve services and make savings quickly.

Shropshire Council invited TLAP colleagues to look at how they can improve the take up and use of direct payments. Caroline Lewis, speaks from the heart about her own struggles with using her Direct Payment to find personal assistants and what she got out of the session that urged an injection of creativity when it comes to DPs.

An important debate is taking place about how to ensure that people who need care and support get that help in a way that enables them to stay safe and well and live the life they want.

With the launch of TLAP's new innovations resource, Alex Fox considers why it's needed now

You may or may not know that Shropshire Council have had a Making it Real board for quite a number of years, and have signed up wholeheartedly to using the updated version of Making it Real.

Bexley Council have triumphed in getting an Individual Service Fund offer in place for people living in Supported Living.

Natasha Burberry is TLAP Advisor for Care Markets and Quality

We’ve been on a road trip, to see where people are having a better experience of support planning in our quest to find creative and diverse ways of managing personal budgets.

For co-production week, Dame Philippa Russell reflects on how important co-production is for older people with mental health issues - it's all about letting your birds sing.

"Health inequalities is a topic close to my heart and thankfully the NHS Long Term plan goes some way to address it.