New Social Work Practice pilot scheme taking shape
Shropshire’s first Social Work Practice pilot scheme is taking shape with final preparations to setting up the scheme now underway.
Shropshire Council was one of just six councils across England which received funding from the Department of Health to pilot the national Social Work Practice Pilot scheme that could benefit up to 1,800 vulnerable people in the county.
The new Social Work Practice, called People 2 People, will look at innovative ways of providing social work support for people to become more active and independent.
People 2 People will provide social work services for older people, people with physical disabilities, people with learning disabilities and their family carers. The scheme aims to help reduce people’s long term reliance on social care, by giving people more choice and control over their support and support to maximise their independence sooner by:
- Helping them at the first stage of contact by providing support to maximise their independence through rehabilitation and enablement services
- Providing advice, support and access to new support technologies
- Working alongside other community organisations to help identify the right support within people’s own communities
- Developing peer support and advice networks
- Working closely with the individual to discuss his or her specific needs
- Allocating Personal Budgets to those who are eligible
- Exploring new and alternative options with individuals when developing their support plans;
- Arranging alternative services and organising support
- Carrying out carers’ assessments and reviews
- Providing ongoing information, advice, support
The scheme is being set up by a group of social workers under a not-for-profit social enterprise, independent of the council. The new social enterprise will offer a more streamline service to customers, help reduce bureaucracy and allow social workers to spend more time directly with vulnerable adults to maximise their independence.
Residents seeking social care support locally will benefit from faster decision-making and receive support that is much more tailored to their individual needs.
Councillor Ann Hartley, Cabinet member with responsibilities for adult social care, said:-
“The Social Work Practice Pilot will offer a fantastic opportunity for our social care professionals in Shropshire to have more control over their work that will place the individual at the heart of their practice. This shift in power will give local people greater control over their care and support.
“This is a very exciting opportunity to test new ways of working that focus on offering more choice and control to those individuals eligible for adult social care in Shropshire. The practice will be able to be more responsive to their needs, as decision-making will be made at a closer level to them, rather than being referred up levels of management.”
Sarah Dillon, Transformation Development Officer at Shropshire Council commented:-
“We are really looking forward to working innovatively on this initiative that aims to make social care more personalised and give people more choice and control over the support they receive. Our plans will free up frontline social workers to do what they do best – help people maintain their independence.”
Shropshire’s Social Work Pilot scheme People 2 People is set to be up and running in October 2011.
The scheme, backed by more than £1 million of Department of Health funding, will reduce bureaucracy, allowing social workers to do their jobs effectively and freeing them to spend more time with those in their care. It offers the potential to improve the lives of those receiving support by offering them more stability and continuity and will also enable social care workers to:
- Take decisions closer to those in their care, leading to a more responsive service.
- Feel empowered with more control over the day to day management of the practice.
- Enjoy their jobs more – staff satisfaction levels in the children’s Social Work Practice pilots have been high as staff feel empowered and part of the decision-making team.
- Build stronger links across communities and improve integration between health and social care.
