School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work

Centre for Research into Disability and Society Curtin Health Innovation Research InstituteCRICOS Provider Code 00301J

BAPTISTCARE: Person-centredness for people with

disabilities, elders and people with mental

health issues Professor Errol CocksDirector, CRDS27th October 2010

Policy Relevance for Person-Centred, Cross-Sectoral Development

Australia National Disability Strategy (COAG, 2010)“A sustainable disability support system which is person-

centred and self-directed, maximising opportunities for independence and participation in the economic, social and cultural life of the community.”

WA Mental Health Commission (2010)“The level of service provided will be based on the

needs, goals and strengths of the individual.”A consumer-focused mental health system in which

consumers: “..control their own mental health care and (are) directly involve(d) in service planning and delivery.”

2Errol Cocks, Oct 2010

Policy Relevance for Person-Centred, Cross-Sectoral Development

Department of Health and Ageing (2010).Introduced: “consumer-directed (aged) care(which)allows

people to have greater control over their own lives by allowing them, to the extent that they are capable and wish to do so, to make choices about the types of care services they access and the delivery of those services, including who will deliver the services and when.”

3Errol Cocks, Oct 2010

Policy Relevance for Person-Centred, Cross-Sectoral Development

Putting the public first (Oct. 2009) Economic Audit Committee

Recommendation 11:“Progressively implement pilots of self-directed

service design and delivery…(by)…adapting individualised funding approaches used in the disability service sector to areas such as mental health, aged care, long-term health conditions, palliative care, job training and homelessness…”

4Errol Cocks, Oct 2010

Conclusion:This powerful confluence of policies indicates

the priority that will be given to:

1. Projects that aim to develop new services, or to re-develop existing services, according to person-centred principles, values, and outcomes.

2. Cross-sectoral (i.e., disability, mental health, and ageing) and cross-disciplinary approaches that promote learning, knowledge transfer, and practices.

5Errol Cocks, Oct 2010

What is “person-centredness” in health & human services?

A focus on respecting the PERSON that emphasises:Providing support to the individual that closely reflects

the person’s needs and preferences.Responding to the person by acknowledging and

working through his/her strengths.Enabling the person and/or those close to the person to

have a strong influence over that support.Promoting informal relationships as much as possible.Promoting social inclusion and participation.

Origins: personal commitmentshuman rights normalisationvalued social roles

Where is person-centredness to be seen in a service?

In an organisation’s “culture” – assumptions, beliefs, values, practices.

In relationships within and outside the organisation.

In the manner in which the organisation plans for the people it serves.

In the manner in which the organisation provides its services.

In the manner in which the organisation supports its workers and other key stakeholders such as families.

The Project AIM: To develop a Baptistcare person-centred service

culture and practice using inclusive and participatory approaches.

Three stages.1. a. What does the literature say about person-centredness

for people with disability, elders, and people with mental illness?b. Views of person-centredness in three Baptistcare programs. (2010-2011 Honours project – Emma)

2. a. Assess Baptistcare services from a framework of person-centredness. b. Identify key strategies to develop culture and practice. (2010-2012 Masters project – Rebecca)

3. Select some strategies for implementation and evaluation.

The CRDS Team

Emma Ashcroft – Honours student.Julie Netto – OT Lecturer, Honours

SupervisorRebecca Waters – OT Lecturer, MPhil

researcherAssociate Professor Angus Buchanan –

A/Head of School, MPhil Supervisor