Passionate about adult social care? Join Making it Real and make a positive difference to people’s lives
Adults who use social care services, or their carers, are being encouraged to come forward to become ‘Experts by Experience’ on Shropshire Council’s Making it Real Board.
Shropshire’s Making it Real offers people the chance to discuss their concerns, experiences and views on how services can be improved.
Making It Real graphic – Feb 2022
Since 2016 Shropshire’s Making it Real Board has been working to ensure that local people who access social care support are at the centre of the design and delivery of care and support. This can be at a personal and individual level, a service level, or working together on developing policies and strategies.
Rich, an ‘Expert by Experience’, said:-
“Working alongside a council who are so receptive to customer involvement is a new experience for me, and one that has been wholly positive. When it is people with disabilities who use Direct Payments it has been great to contribute to the shaping of the service, for myself but also on behalf of others.”
Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social care and public health, said:-
“We are looking for people to become part of our well-established Making it Real Board as ‘Experts by Experience’ members.
“If you’re willing to use your experience of social care to make a positive difference to people’s live, then please do contact us.”
Katie, an ‘Expert by Experience’, said:-
“Making It Real has given me a voice to influence change. My disability is left at the door (or behind the webcam): the board members see past my wheelchair, something that society struggles to do. My input as a service user is valued as much, if not more, then that from council staff, including senior managers.
“This has changed the way I value myself, and increased my self-esteem as well as confidence.”
To find out more:-
- email makingitreal@shropshire.gov.uk
- visit the Making it Real webpages here: https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/shropshire-choices/making-it-real-mir/
- Visit the Sway page: please click here.
Further information
Making it Real is a framework and set of statements that describe what good, client-focused, care and support looks like for each individual from the point of view of people themselves.
It aims to step away from services that are created by professionals alone, to a world in which people who access care and support have as much say about the way that things develop as the professionals.
Developed by a national organisation called Think Local Act Personal (TLAP), Shropshire Council has used the framework and statements as a prompt to inspire ‘good conversations’ between local people, commissioners and service providers, in order to make services better and ultimately improve people’s lives. It’s been an inspiration in the drive to make adult social care better in Shropshire.
