Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, shares his personal insights on the vital importance of placing individuals who use services at the core of social care.
Putting people who use services at the heart of care has numerous benefits for the individuals receiving care and the overall care system. By involving those who receive the care, you can be assured that the services meet people’s needs, and involvement in decision-making leads to better outcomes and more effective use of the resources. There is a major challenge for the care system because we have increasing needs and shrinking resources. If we start engaging with people who use services, we can ensure that their needs and preferences are understood and met effectively. This approach leads to improved outcomes, increased satisfaction, better quality of life, and a more effective use of the available resources.
Additionally, involving service users in planning and delivering care can help empower them and promote self-determination. This can lead to greater independence, autonomy, and confidence in managing their own lives and well-being. It can also foster a sense of ownership and responsibility, leading to better adherence to treatment plans and improved outcomes. In the past, both health and social care services have suffered from a tendency to impose solutions on people, rather than coproduce a response to health or social care needs. It is also true to say that in many cases, costly solutions have been delivered that do not meet people’s needs and are a waste of resources. One of the biggest challenges we face in the current system is that we are very risk averse, and the system takes on the responsibility of ironing out risk rather than informing people who use services what their options are and what might be the consequences of some of their actions. We all manage risk within our lives, and it is, in part, what enables us to live well. If you start ironing out all the risks, you are then leading a very unsatisfactory life.
Furthermore, involving service users in care decisions can help to identify gaps in services, spotlight areas for improvement, and develop innovative solutions to address specific needs. This can lead to more personalised and effective care interventions and more efficient use of resources within the system. One of the things that health and care systems seem incapable of understanding is that all the innovation and creativity that drives change and more effective use of resources tend to come from people who are using services. When you are living with a long-term condition, it is so real to you that you think very creatively about what you need to do to live a better life and have more control.
Overall, putting people who use services at the heart of care is essential for delivering a 21st-century care system that improves outcomes and enhances the overall quality of people’s lives. As we look at the demographics and we face a future where there will be more people in need and fewer resources, we cannot afford to provide people with things that do not make a difference to them. I would argue that in the future, putting people at the heart of care is not going to be nice; it will be essential if we are going to meet people’s needs and manage resources.
@ProfMartinGreen @CareEngland
