Most recent comments

More information should be included on how to develop strategic plans for the health and social care sector and examples of good practice. Hyper links to the reference documents would also be helpful.

nothing visible on quality management system or environmental management system. Not all firms have these, but those aspiring to excellence do!

The workforce planning mini-guide has been amended to include consideration of gender and other equalities dimensions at the investigation stage.  These dimensions should then be taken into consideration when thinking about recruitment and staff development plans. 

I am a first time manager and have a meeting tomorrow to address the issue of poor performance with and employee. This article has reinforced the concerns I had about making the person feel negative about themselves and therefore demotivated and unable to improve. It has also given me clear and practical suggestions for how to avoid that. I couldn't have asked for anything more apt. Thank you very much.

Current standard practice - sounds about right.

Carers - it's important to differentiate between paid and unpaid carers

Directs payments/IB's - no mention of 'indirect payments' which involves the setting up of a trust to manage the payment.  Why not learn from people that are doing this successfully (usually a parent).  We've accessed appropriate training, enabled workforce development and so on - why re-invent the wheel?  We've much to share that can inform Skills for Support and/or local authorities in identifying what is needed.  Training needs to be embedded in the promotion of 'active' support which enables individuals to have a good life based on the values of rights, choice and independence.  Understanding and learning about working in a person-centred way has to be a very valuable transferable skill leading to improved outcomes for everyone.  Norah Fry has already researched this topic and are producing training material 'skills for support' in which services like ours are featured and used as models of good practice.

I accept that for those with a LD managing a DP has risks re the unregulated workforce, lack of monitoring/CRB's and so on - but all things are possible and maybe our model needs to be adopted and tweaked to fit individual need.

so, what do we think represents good practice?

You mention voluntary organisations......but how about involving those that have 'walked the walk' the unpaid brigade that really know, because they need/needed to, what it takes, what makes good sense.  We've learned so much on our journeys, why not ask us? use us? maybe employ us?

It's important to involve those that walk alongside those who can't speak.

What can SCIE do?

you mention outcomes.......we have the evidence.  I speak for those with complex needs that historically are placed miles from home, away from their families and at increased risk of abuse.  As you are no doubt aware, the University of Lancaster are currently carrying out research on behalf of SCIE looking at 'Commissioning Person centred, cost effective, local support for people with Learning difficulties and complex needs'.  Our evidence is that we're saving our local authorities a fortune and getting this challenging group of people good lives.  e.g. I returned in excess of £70,000 last year to our local authority by providing my son with an individualised service that makes sense to him.  How many service providers return money? I shared our story at the conference and hopefully it's in the bag with the other stories you plan to collect.

 look forward to helping in any way that I can.

the vision is good i attnded this confreance and agree with everything that is here .

My biggest concern is how we can remove the fear factor from the private sector ,how do we awake a sleepping dinosaur and bring them  into the tweenty first  century. my gut reaction is to say that the commissioning of these services must be toughened up if we are going to make any changes to people lifes