It’s Our Life, May 2007

What’s this got to do with...

•Children

•Young People and

•Families

Absolutely Everything

• Set up in 2003 as government-community social enterprise - will be established as independent charity by the Autumn 2007

• Pioneered concepts of Self-Directed Support and Individual Budget (Phase One, 2003-2005)

• Today works across all social care groups - adults & children

• 94 local authorities have subscribed as members

• 1200 people using Self-Directed Support (Phase Two, 2005-2007)

• 9 local authorities committed to total change (Phase Three...)

• Leading website on Self-Directed Support: www.in-control.org.uk

• Open source community - working with over 20 franchised partners

Independent LivingThe point of it all... rights, citizenship,

family... choice and control

Self-Directed Support

The new national support system (replacing the current Social Care) - it

has many parts

Individual BudgetOne part of the system... your money...

calculated up-front... based on your needs

Direct PaymentAnother part of the system... one way

of managing your money

Person Representative Trust

Broker Provider Care Manager

Question 1 What is a Direct Payment?

Question 2 What is an Individual Budget?

The Commission for Social Care Inspection 2004 - MORI Poll found that “most people want to choose their social care - three-quarters (73%) say a person requiring social care should be able to choose their services and be given money by the government or council to pay for them, rather than have the government or local council decide.”

Question 3 What is Self-Directed Support?

Question 4 What is Independent Living?

Institution Care Citizenship

Social Care Today

• Current system of social care doesn’t work - its ‘broken’

• Its broken because power, control and responsibility is all in the wrong place

• Decisions are in the wrong hands - too far away from the person

• We need a system that treats people as citizens

We need a new system

• People needs to be in control of their own life

• People flourish as part of families and communities

• People are entitled to support

• And should have as much control as possible over how they live

Too Too ExpensiveExpensive

Threatens Threatens UsUs

Just for Just for SomeSome

Direct Direct PaymentsPayments

ILF Mark 1ILF Mark 1

ILF Mark 2ILF Mark 2

Self-determination Self-determination (USA)(USA)

European SystemsEuropean Systems Limit EligibilityLimit Eligibility

ComplicateComplicate

ProfessionaliseProfessionalise

IlegalIlegal

Doesn’t fitDoesn’t fit

Over-regulateOver-regulate

Self-Directed Support:Self-Directed Support:

Sensible, Legal, Affordable Sensible, Legal, Affordable and Universal:and Universal:

Designed to put Designed to put EVERYONE in control of EVERYONE in control of their own lifetheir own life

in Control’s Model ofSelf-Directed Support

Support Brokerage

Individual Service Fund

• Self-determination - Helen’s Mum

• Direction - Jane’s Art Class

• Money - Margaret’s new family

• Home - Patrick’s Trust

• Support - Keith’s personal trainer

• Community Life - Gavin’s season ticket

“Many practitioners and Team Managers feel that this is ‘what real social work is about... it’s what I trained for…’” J. Goldingham, West Sussex

“IB’s changed my thinking! It’s about getting the most out of

your life. Living, instead of existing!"

Disabled Person, Essex

“...life is going to change for my son, my husband and I. It’s going to make a mammoth difference.” Mum, Essex

“We ask individuals and families what they want and it’s our job to go and find it...

and generally people don’t ask for unbelievable things...”

Doreen Kelly, Partners for Inclusion

Are you happy with your support?

Satisfaction Rates Before After

Self-determination 42% 97%

Planning 61% 97%

Money 45% 90%

Home 65% 94%

support 48% 100%Community life (family-

based) 67% 100%Community life (non-

family) 56% 100%

Community life (overall) 61% 100%

Desired change Number Made it

Where I live 17 76%

Who I live with 16 81%

What I do with my time 26 69%

Who supports me 18 89%

Other specific changes 10 90%

Total 87 79%

Support & Housing Before After Percent

Support at home 20 22 10%

Employing PAs 8 22 175%

Using day centre 12 11 -8%

Days in day centre 4.5 3.5 -22%

Registered care home 10 0 -100%

Own tenancy 1 10 900%

Average household 6.2 3.6 -42%

Single living 0 4 N/A

Direct Payment 1 16 1500%

Earned a wage 1 3 200%

Using family support 21 21 0%

Using community support 8 15 88%

In family home 14 15 7%

• Self-Directed Support seems to lead to better support and happier people

• Self-Directed Support seems affordable

• Many social workers feel that Self-Directed Support is allowing them to return to the values and skills that made them join the profession

• Flexibility of funding is critical - we do not know - in advance - what good support looks like - so we must not fetter the discretion of those who know best

• Self-Directed Support implies a radical re-think of roles, funding, regulations and policy... and some people are ready to try

in Control’s learning

in Control’s Plans for Children

•Make sure that in Control’s model works across the whole of life

•Challenge the systems dominance in Transition and other multi-disciplinary processes

•Challenge the dominance of the child protection thinking

•Assume and support capacities in children, young people and families