Seeing it My Way

– a practical perspective

Bob Ironside

Background• Small local society – around 1000 service

users• Provides statutory services for Perth &

Kinross Council• Previously no documented service pathway• Previously undertook outcome-focussed

assessments, but using generic community social work service documentation

2012 – New Management Team• Need to review/clarify service pathway• Need for assessment documentation that

fitted the specialist nature of our service• Our criteria:– Fit for purpose– Research-based– Could be readily linked to strategic aims– Acceptable to our purchaser– Would align with our service ethos

What we did• Developed service pathway through local

adaptation of Adult UK Sight Loss Pathway • Developed two-stage outcome-focussed

assessment and care planning/review tools based on the SIMW Outcomes

• Consulted with our statutory service purchaser and obtained agreement to introduce

Why Seeing It My Way?• Reflects what blind and partially sighted

people say is important to them• Based on robust research• Outcome-focussed rather than service-led• Fits with our ethos– person centred– relationship-based approach to practice– enabling focus

• Practical framework/easy to understand• Aligned with our strategic aims

Where we’ve got to/Next Steps• Excellent feedback from service users on the

quality of conversations with them• Excellent feedback from purchaser on quality

of assessments• Staff feel new assessment and care planning

tools provide appropriate focus for their specialist services

• Now thinking hard about evaluation – how to use SIMW outcomes as the basis for measuring the real impact of our services