Putting People First - Shaping your future, choosing your care

Commission of Inquiry into the future services for adults in need of support and care

The Commission - Terms of reference

Local authorities need to make services more personalised over the next three years, as set out in the concordat Putting People First.. Meeting this objective requires a fundamental shift in focus, moving away from a system where people are matched to services, to one where the person in need determines how their needs will be met.  It is expected that this transformation will bring about better outcomes for people in need and their carers and will ensure that they  are afforded more choice, dignity and control in the way they lead their lives.

The Commission has been set up by Hampshire County Council and will hear  views on how the whole system can be changed through the concept of Personalisation to ensure that people in need of support and care  are given more choice and control over  the care they receive.

The Commission’s terms of reference are to;

• Provide a forum where the opinions of groups and individuals on the issue of the implementation of the personalisation agenda can be heard and considered.
• Ensure Hampshire’s voice is heard, adds to the national debate and influences government in relation to all areas that will be impacted on by personalisation.
• Help shape future services for people in need of support and care to meet the  objectives of Putting People First.
  • mainstreaming person-centred planning, Self-directed Support and personal budgets
  • family members and carers to be treated as experts with the power to influence policy and provision
  • commissioning which incentivises and stimulates provision offering high standards of care, dignity and maximum choice and control for service users
  • a common assessment process with greater emphasis on self-assessment
  • a universal information, advice and advocacy service for people needing services and their carers, including self-funders
  • championing the rights and needs of people who need help and support to access universal services, transcending the boundaries of social care
  • promoting dignity and minimising the risk of abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults
  • prevention, early intervention and enablement as the norm
  • supporting people to remain in their own homes as long as possible and the alleviation of loneliness as a priority.
• In shaping changes, consider:
  • diversity and diverse needs
  • demographics and associated rising demand
  • green and carbon issues
  • the best use of technology
  • the need to meet the requirements for further efficiencies and continued outcome and performance improvement
  • the need for flexibility to cope with whatever resources are available
  • approaches to eligibility
  • what a new way of funding care might look like- what elements will be universal
  • partnership working and utilising resources from mainstream/universal services, the NHS,  people’s own contributions, welfare benefits such as Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance, housing and ‘Supporting People’, the voluntary and private sectors and other relevant statutory agencies, not just those resources spent via the adult social services department
  • what contract to develop between the state, individuals, families and communities, including rights and responsibilities on both sides.
• Engage with the wider Hampshire community, to ensure that they are aware of and prepared for personalised services.
• Understand the role of local government and how it needs to work in partnership with the voluntary, private, independent and other public sectors, along with people in need and carers, to deal with the move towards more individually tailored services and transform how adult social care will be provided.
• Understand the implications for the workforce and the local population of changing to a new way of working.
• Develop a sustainable model for the future, that embraces new ways of working and offers practical ways of improving outcomes.
• Use the key findings of The Commission to inform a plan for the implementation of personalised services in Hampshire.
• Influence the Government’s Green Paper on the future funding of adult social care and continue to lobby for sufficient resources to cover local authorities’ responsibilities so that the service is adequately funded