Devon Puts People First

Over the next few years we plan to revolutionise the way Devon looks after people who need social and health care. The changes will improve the services for older people, people with physical or learning disabilities and people recovering from mental illness as well as the wider community.

A government report Putting People First identifies a shared vision for the transformation of Adult Social Care. It describes some of the key challenges we are facing today:

• greater demographic pressure as people not only live longer but will be experiencing more complex conditions into their old age
• changing family structures and the pressures this can put on families
• changing expectations and the increasing choice which this demands
• financial pressures.
  

The key themes are Choice & Control Universal Services and Social Capital Early Intervention & Prevention Market Shaping Find out more Key articles on Putting People First in Devon Personal Budgets - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Common terms explained further information...

We want to help Devon people stay healthy and live independently for as long as possible. Putting People First is about giving people more choice and control over how they get the support they need to do this.You can watch a four minute video clip from the Department of Health explaining these themes

There are also four allied programmes helping to make this happen

• Service Review and Development
• Externalisation of Residential Care Services
• Carers Strategy
• Dementia Strategy

Users and Carers are engaged and involved at every stage.of the planning and development.

Devon’s Putting People First overall vision...

Our aim is to build strong communities in which everyone can play an active role and take control of their lives. We want to promote independence and choice and provide support and protection to the most vulnerable.

Our staff must be able to:

• support independence and well-being
• support choice and give people a say in the services they receive
• provide high quality care to people with high levels of need
• provide services in local communities closer to people’s homes.

The people we support must be able to:

• stay healthy and safe in their own home
• enjoy a good quality of life through access to leisure and social activities
• make a positive contribution to their community through employment, volunteering and involvement in decision making
• maintain personal dignity and take control of their lives by exercising choice
• realise a sufficient income to meet their needs and participate in community life
• have equality of access to services and protection from discrimination and harm.

Resources and further information

• Putting People First Resources - guides, resources and website links to videos, DVDs and case studies,
• Key articles bulletins and presentations in the Communication Archive.
• You can watch a four minute video clip from the Department of Health explaining the four Putting People First themes
• On 14 April 2010 DCC Cabinet approved a consultation process about changes to the charging policy which will be needed to give people more choice and control.
• On 20 May 2010 Association of Directors of Adult Social Services welcomed proposals for adult social care in an announcement by the Coalition Government.
• On 28 September 2010 social care providers of services and care organisations from across the South West met at Westpoint for the annual Devon Care Training Conference 2010. Members of the Provider Engagement Network attended to discuss relevant issues.
• On 14 October 2010 - we are transferring ownership of our residential homes, the care homes tender is to be extended.
• By 30 November 2010 consultation ends on the proposed partnership agreement Think Local, Act Personal.  The supporting summary (published in November 2010) details next steps for transforming adult social care and is a proposed sector-wide commitment to moving forward with personalisation and community based support.
• In February 2011 Think Local, Act Personal - the sector-wide statement of intent that makes the link between the government's new vision for social care and Putting People First - was finalised as the way forward for personalisation and community-based support.
• During March 2011 the Regional Putting People First Steering Group decided that it was important to share and to celebrate examples of good practice and innovative projects in the south west. Local authorities and their partners have submitted examples relating to all aspects of the PPF Programme; there are sections on Choice and Control, Engagement and Co-production, Early Intervention and Prevention, and Efficiencies and Sustainability. Pam Richards and Kim Carey SW Lead Director for Personalisation said: "We hope that this document will ensure that some of the learning and experience gained from implementing the transformation agenda over the past three years will be transferred when the regional programme is closed in March 2011".
  Please disseminate this document as widely as possible so that the learning is spread and shared:  
  Delivering Putting People First in the South West (222KB - pdf help) (March 2011).
• Evolving from Putting People First to Think Local, Act Personal. The three year national and regional programme Putting People First ended on 31 March 2011 but all national tools and materials developed during that time are still available on the new-look national Think Local, Act Personal website.