Personalisation and transformation - a brief summary

Social care is the wide range of services designed to help people maintain their independence, and equip them with resources needed to play a fuller part in society, and to protect them in vulnerable situations.

Advances in public health and healthcare, together with changes in society mean people are living longer.

As communities become more diverse, the challenge of satisfying increasing demands and different needs becomes more apparent.

Putting People First (PPF) is a response to these changes and challenges.

It is a national programme set up to ensure public bodies work together with the purpose of empowering individuals to take control over their lives, and give them maximum choice. PPF requires all aspects of support services to be addressed including:

• Universal services – the general support available to everyone in their community, such as transport, leisure, education, employment, health, housing, community safety, and information and advice

• Early intervention and prevention – helping people live at home independently, preventing them from needing social care support for as long as possible, leading to potential financial savings

• Choice and control – giving people a clear understanding of how much is to be spent on their care and support, and allowing then to choose how they would like this funding to be used to suit their needs and preferences

• Social capital – fostering strong and supportive communities that value the contribution each citizen can make

• Social care will need to undergo significant changes in process, practice and culture, requiring investment in training and support for the workforce

• A total of £520 million, in the form of the Social Care and Reform Grant, has been allocated over three years to assist the transformation process. The third and final raft of the grant has been distributed this year

• PPF is not limited to public services used by people eligible for state support; it is also about how everyone makes best use of resources in their area.

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