Lasting Legacy for PPF

DH West Midland’s Putting People First (PPF) development programme has ended.

Set up in April 2008, DH specialists helped councils implement a raft of changes needed to transform adult social care, with emphasis on prevention, early intervention, personalisation, and provision of information.

Councils have been left with a legacy of fresh thinking and new approaches to the way services are delivered in the region, giving them a strong basis on which to build care services for the future.

The following summary includes an overview of progress so far; the challenges councils face, and tips for continuing the transformation of adult care:

Carers

• All councils have an online staff training course designed to raise awareness of carers needs and how best to help them
• NHS organisations need to be involved at strategic level in the engagement of carers
• There is need for carers strategies and the implementation of personalised care to be coordinated.

LINKs

• Achievement of LINKs – the  local involvement networks where individuals can air their views and influence health and social care services - is variable
• Healthwatch – the new government initiative to provide people with a single point of contact for seeking advocacy, information, or wanting to express their views, will supercede LINKs.  Rapid implementation is required but the new scheme is not fully understood locally
• Councils have lead LINKs officers who monitor existing contracts. Transition to Healthwatch may need extra or different types of resources.

Dementia

• Take up of benefits for people with dementia is still low and needs to be increased
• Support for the independent and third sector organisations is needed to help them deliver personalised care and reablement services
• Greater use of telecare and touch screen technology is required as part of intervention, prevention and reablement of dementia sufferers
• Precision training of social workers to ensure the right people have appropriate skills for working with people with dementia, is needed

Dignity

• A more concerted effort is required to mobilise 3000 dignity champions in the region to support delivery of:

          -personalisation

          -telecare

          -safeguarding

          -commissioning services to support the dignity programme

          -LINKs/Healthwatch

Valuing People Now

• Investment in employment support leading to paid work for people with a disability, has proved to be financially efficient

• An employment toolkit is available on the Valuing People Now and BASE websites  
• Ensure people with a learning disability are fully represented in Joint Strategic Needs Assessments, with particular attention to areas such as young people in transition, people with complex needs requiring bespoke housing solutions, and people living with older family carers

Safeguarding

• Councils are urged to set up mechanisms for regional coordination of safeguarding practices and procedures
• Continue with close collaboration between staff responsible for personalisation and safeguarding
• Develop risk assessment and risk management policies that incorporate positive risk taking
• Ensure continued collaboration with health authorities
• Make safeguarding the vehicle for continuation of the dignity programme, and implementation of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty.