Outcomes from the Independence and Choice Policy consultation

The policy to promote independence and choice is part of the journey to move away from institutional care and towards supporting people in the community. The purpose of the policy is to support the transformation of social care in Hampshire to a system where individuals are at the heart of planning their future, setting their own goals and working with the County Council to develop a care package that can help them meet these - Self Directed Support.

A formal consultation was held from December 2009 to March 2010 and sought views from a wide range of people, with a focus on Services Users and Carers, together with Service User and Carer representative groups and organisations, Hampshire County Council staff and other interested parties.

62 questionnaires were submitted and 4 letters were received which included responses from the groups mentioned above as well as Hampshire Primary Care Trust (NHS Hampshire) and the Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IDeA). Informal workshops were organised across the county to facilitate discussion and feedback about the policy with Service Users and Carers. 49 people were involved in these workshops of which 38 were Service Users and Carers.

The overall response to the consultation was positive, there were no strong opinions expressed that the policy should not be adopted and there were many helpful comments about the value of providing a framework for risk assessment for practitioners and service users.

Hampshire County Council's Cabinet approved the adoption of the policy on 24th May 2010. The policy is being prepared for publication during July 2010 and will be available on Hantsweb

The full report that went to the Cabinet, details of the policy and a summary can be found on the Council meeting webpages