care home congress 2009

Choice, control & care homes:the implications of personal budgets in care home work

Jill ManthorpeSocial Care Workforce Research Unit

King’s College London

care home congress 2009

Personalisation is

• Not just personal budgets but self-directed support

• Not just direct payments but many forms of deployment

• Generally applicable to adult social care+

• Transforming adult social care

care home congress 2009

But looking at personal budgets

• The local authority Resource Allocation System works out that Mrs James is eligible for £5,000 a year to meet her needs for social care. She spends half on a personal support worker (her niece Maureen) and a quarter on going to church (taxi). While Maureen is on holiday Mrs James stays at Claremont Court.

care home congress 2009

Possible demand sideeffects on care homes

• Will people be able to stay at home longer?

• Higher levels of disability/ illness on admission?

• Will people wish to purchase more from care providers such as homes?

• Care homes in a crisis – their role as a safety net

care home congress 2009

Holiday horror averted

• Maureen has broken her leg on a camel ride…(telephone calls to Marrakech)

• Mrs James stays another month

• Council involved – only later when family sorting out funds – but not with Claremont

care home congress 2009

action

• What is on offer to non-residents?

• Do you really want their business?

• Marketing approaches

• Can you manage individual provider accounts? Etc

• Who is your link?

care home congress 2009

Mrs James

• Has budgeted for 2 weeks stay not six

• Will need to manage this – with broker or care manager

• Carers can be care managers

• Familiar position of self-funders

care home congress 2009

Effects on staff

• Will staff take on extra work for people at home? (Cash? Not regulated?)

• Will staff leave to become personal assistants? Why? (no H&S?)

• Will personal assistants be attracted to care homes? Why? (better behaviour)

• Will new pools of staff be attracted to care work? (how to attract them?)

care home congress 2009

The attractiveness of Maureen

• Experienced in care work…

• May have time to spare…

• May like to talk about work plans…

• May lack confidence…

• May want a change from one to one employment…

care home congress 2009

Changing expectations among users and carers?

• Experience of choice and prioritising

• Familiarity with risk assessment & management

• Assertiveness?• A consumer culture

care home congress 2009

More personalised care

• Familiar calls within care homes – person-centred, relationship–centred…

• A good barometer

• Thinking about other elements of personalisation eg intergenerational work, prevention, safeguarding, and ensuring care homes are part of this

care home congress 2009

Mrs James

• Makes more use of Claremont, may consider moving in

• Recommended it to a fellow worshiper who did

• Provided the men’s sports group (student supported) with her husband’s snooker set

• Maureen is planning another adventure…