Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today!

When I was a child, my mum had certain sayings which made me laugh but the one that has stuck is, don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.  This has taught me a drive to do things quickly, especially when they matter.  I was taught that if you leave them, they pile up and become too much to handle.  However, the saying hasn’t always been an easy one to live up to.

For example, a sudden need to redecorate the back bedroom but you don’t have the paint, you’re not sure about the colour and there are certain chores before you can even get started. However, if you think it through, you realise that you have left over paint in the garage, you’ve already discussed the colour with your family so actually the prep really doesn’t take that long and it is all possible within a day.  But, we all procrastinate don’t we!  Often, we put things in the too-hard-to-do box, put barriers in the way or believe they exist and this stops us from doing what’s important!

How does procrastination relate to adult social care? 

I can see the resemblance in the adult social care system.  There are always barriers: decision making can be drawn out and we might not have the right ‘equipment’ but despite all these ‘obstacles’ we have learnt from Covid-19 that challenges are not as big as we think, and they are doable.  We have gone above and beyond to do the right things quickly because we know how much of a difference they make to people who want and need our help and support. 

What creative response are emerging? 

During the collection of TLAP’s stories of promise for Covid-19 we are continuing to see positive new practices throughout Covid-19.  There are some fine examples of how things can be done on the same day, in partnership and collaboratively without barriers.  They really have made a difference.  For example, the collection shows:

• Support to direct payment recipients and creative and flexible direct payments
• Good support to providers to enable them to keep people safe and well supported
• Digital online activities to keep people connected, independent and well
• Reaching out to our migrant and traveller communities so they can get the right information about the pandemic
• Support to our Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) staff through difficult times
• Quick access to PPE for Personal Assistants
• Accessible and easy read information, including just pictures for people with learning difficulties
• Online cafes to support health and wellbeing
• Creative thinking about how to connect people in care homes up with communities

Not only have we adapted our practice to Covid-19 pretty much overnight, we have found new ways of working too.   From the feedback from Stories of promise, people report feeling well supported and safe.  Above all solutions have been found locally. 

Although we recognise it is not the same for everyone, the examples have shown that we could have a promising future, a glimmer of hope, but only if the practices are sustained.  Let us not lose sight of what has been achieved and let’s think seriously about not putting off until tomorrow, what we can do today!