The focus of this article is direct payments, personalisation, and self-directed support for disabled people. The article argues that there were major problems with direct payments for people with learning difficulties and that self-directed support was designed to tackle these problems and create a new system for social care. It describes the work of a project called In Control from 2003 to 2009 in challenging previous practice and proposing new ways of using personal budgets, and reports that despite some improvements there are still considerable problems. The author asserts that personal budgets should belong to disabled people and their families but that there are often barriers to how they can use them, and argues that campaigning is needed to ensure further progress.
The focus of this article is direct payments, personalisation, and self-directed support for disabled people. The article argues that there were major problems with direct payments for people with learning difficulties and that self-directed support was designed to tackle these problems and create a new system for social care. It describes the work of a project called In Control from 2003 to 2009 in challenging previous practice and proposing new ways of using personal budgets, and reports that despite some improvements there are still considerable problems. The author asserts that personal budgets should belong to disabled people and their families but that there are often barriers to how they can use them, and argues that campaigning is needed to ensure further progress.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, personal budgets, personalisation, self-directed support, service users, social care provision, direct payments, disabilities;
The term ‘personalisation’ has come to dominate policy and practice for people with learning disabilities. However, it is a term that can be used in many different ways. The aim of this paper is to explain the development of the concept of personalisation and its dependence upon prior innovations such as independent living, person-centred planning and individual budgets, and to explore its meaning, limitations and future prospects. The paper takes the form of an analytical and historical review of ideas that have been important in the recent history of public policy for people with learning disabilities. The paper argues that the innovations associated with personalisation were instead inspired by citizenship. People with learning disabilities, along with other disabled people, have been engaged in a struggle to achieve full citizenship. Recent reforms that go by the name of personalisation treat disabled people as citizens and may mark an important stage in the development of a fairer system. However, these innovations are limited by the lack of more fundamental reforms and at best are only stepping stones for a fairer society that takes citizenship for all seriously.
The term ‘personalisation’ has come to dominate policy and practice for people with learning disabilities. However, it is a term that can be used in many different ways. The aim of this paper is to explain the development of the concept of personalisation and its dependence upon prior innovations such as independent living, person-centred planning and individual budgets, and to explore its meaning, limitations and future prospects. The paper takes the form of an analytical and historical review of ideas that have been important in the recent history of public policy for people with learning disabilities. The paper argues that the innovations associated with personalisation were instead inspired by citizenship. People with learning disabilities, along with other disabled people, have been engaged in a struggle to achieve full citizenship. Recent reforms that go by the name of personalisation treat disabled people as citizens and may mark an important stage in the development of a fairer system. However, these innovations are limited by the lack of more fundamental reforms and at best are only stepping stones for a fairer society that takes citizenship for all seriously.
Subject terms:
independent living, learning disabilities, personal budgets, personalisation, person-centred planning, policy formulation, social policy, supported living, citizenship, direct payments;