Social care in the UK is facing a two-part revolution. First, local authority social care budgets are subject to substantial cuts, driven by cuts in grants from central government. Second, the health and social care structures which exist are undergoing radical reform, which will fundamentally change how services are delivered in future. In this context, the Government has announced a target of 100 per cent take-up of personal budgets, in order to fully achieve ‘personalisation’.
But this pamphlet shows that whilst personal budgets may be one very effective way of achieving personalisation, they do not guarantee it. By focusing solely on personal budgets as the only way to achieve personalisation, we risk excluding some groups from the personalisation agenda altogether. Through in-depth interviews and focus groups with care users and staff, this pamphlet explores how person-centred services can be achieved for those who need it most – those with multiple and complex needs, and in settings where personalisation is most challenging such as residential care homes and palliative care centres. It considers the importance of co-production and democratic structures to collectively empower residents of care homes, staff cultures and risk, and the integration of health, care and housing.
Tailor Made finds that the future success of personalisation relies on it becoming more inclusive. Everyone in need of care and support should be able to enjoy the benefits of personalisation in a way that suits them, with or without a personal budget.