Better Lives

Authors: Professor Roger Ellis, Professor David Sines and Professor Elaine Hogard

An Evaluation of the Choice Support Personalisation Programme for Adults with Learning Difficulties in Southwark

This report demonstrates the value of trusting service providers to work more flexibly by enabling them to use personal budgets more creatively in partnership with the people they work for.

Independent research by the Bucks New University Social and Health Evaluation Unit has demonstrated the significant advantages and efficiencies that arise when commissioners enable service providers to work more flexibly. The research found that the service provider, Choice Support, saw a major cut in funding (30% over 4 years) yet despite this they were able to provide improvements in support and outcomes for the vast majority of people served.

The majority of the staff involved, from within the service provider and social services describe the new process as the most significant experience of their working lives.

The report contains full details of:

• Significant savings achieved
• Improvements in outcomes and citizenship
• Benefits for staff and social workers
• Human stories and case studies

Read and download the free pdf in your browser here.

Better Lives is one of a series of publications exploring personalisation and Individual Service Funds (ISFs) in Southwark. ISFs in Action described the development of the Personalisation Programme. Better Nights is an evaluation of the impact of changing support arrangements overnight.

The publisher is the Centre for Welfare Reform.

Better Lives © Roger Ellis, David Sines and Elaine Hogard 2014.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this paper may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher except for the quotation of brief passages in reviews.