Information for providers of care and support services
The introduction of self-directed support and personal budgets means that social care providers will need to make changes to their businesses as individuals begin to take control of their lives.
Providers of care and support services have a huge contribution to make to personalisation and the transformation of social care for adults. Wokingham Borough Council works in partnership with service providers from all sectors to help them adapt to the new way of providing support services to vulnerable adults in Wokingham borough.
Planning during change
Planning during times of change is critical if your business is to grow and succeed. With the move to self-directed support, you will need to develop a plan for your business that delivers flexible services to meet the individual requirements of social care customers. Areas you will need to consider are:
- The role your organisation will play
- How to individualise your existing services
- How you put customers in control of the support they receive
- New contracting forms and back office processes - they need to be flexible to meet future needs
Understanding your market is fundamental to a successful business and can help you identify new market opportunities. As more people use self-directed support, you will need to plan to change key features of your business, or think of starting up a new area of business.
Understanding demand
Providers and commissioners will need to plan the capacity, location and types of service that reflect social care customers’ needs and wishes.
Long term financial planning will be necessary to allow providers and commissioners to anticipate and respond to changes in demand for certain services over time for the following groups of vulnerable adults:
- Older people
- Adults with learning disabilities
- Adults with a physical disability or sensory impairment
- Adults with mental health problems
Resources
Self-assessment toolkits to help providers move into personalisation are available from the following sources:
