Flexible approaches to support and contracting in health and social care services.
The Centre and many of its Fellows are working actively to promote more flexible approaches to support and contracting in health and social care services. This includes, although it involves much more than, using Individual Service Funds (ISFs).
The Centre believes that high quality and flexible support requires:
Accountability - the help we get must be under our control
Individualisation - help should be tailored to our needs
Responsiveness - help and support must change as we change
Partnership - good help means working together to achieve the best
Empowerment - the best help ensures we are full and active citizens
The Centre's Director, Simon Duffy, helped to write the national guidance on flexible support - download the pdf:Individual Service Funds (ISFs) and contracting for Flexible Support.
Some of the barriers to flexible support that local authorities and others have told us they face include:
Important guidance has recently been published both by the Government and the Local Government Association (LGA) underlining the many possibilities that exist for ensuring contractual arrangements are consistent with flexible support and contracting.
Other resources on ISFs will be made available as they are developed in local areas.
If you would like to join us and get involved please email Simon Duffy.
