Personal assistants’ framework presentation for ADASS Disability Network

Graham Earnshaw

Adult social care workforce development team

Department of Health 15th July 2011

Presentation about the Personal Assistants framework

3 key areas:

– Context for social care– The framework, PAs and employers– Next steps

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Thankyou for inviting me to talk to you today

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Context 1: Challenges facing health and social care

An ageing population• Next 20 years, number of people over 85 will double

Increasing demands on services• People live not just longer but with greater needs

Higher expectations from people who use services• Personalisation of services

Changed economic climate• End of funding growth

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Context 2: Vision for adult social care: Capable communities and active citizens

Government committed to personalised social care

Further growth in personal budgets, with access available to all those eligible for ongoing care by 2013

7 principles underpinning a modern 21st century system of social care

• personalised, partnership, plurality, prevention, productivity,protection & people

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Context 3: Vision for adult social care: Capable communities and active citizens

PA framework is an important deliverable in Vision:

‘The provision of personal budgets for all eligible people will mean personal assistants, directly employed by people who use care and support services, working in new creative and person-centred ways to play an increasingly important role in providing tailored support to meet individual needs’

Context 4: Projected growth in PAs

Skills for Care ‘State of Adult Social Care Workforce report 2010’ Maximising choice scenario suggests:

• PA workforce growth from 168k in 2010 rising to 722k people by 2025

• PA jobs to increase from 276k in 2010 to 1.18m in 2025

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Context 5: Localism and the ‘Big Society’

Culture change in provision of local services

PA framework concentrates on: • localised approach to supporting PAs and employers• empowering individuals and communities to exercise control over

provision of local services• right balance between central and local govt, and local communities

and individuals

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Context 6: Other social care developments

• Law Commission review of ASC legislation• Commission on funding of care and support - Dilnot• Care and support White Paper• Social Care reform Bill• ‘Thinking Local, Acting Personal’ partnership agreement

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Framework, PAs and employers 1: Themes

A policy response to workforce-related barriers to PA working

key themes • developing understanding of PA working, • recruitment and retention, • learning and development, • support for PAs and employers and• risk management

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Framework, PAs and employers 2: Purpose

To enable support for PA workforce and employers, leading to:

• future growth and development of PA working for the PA workforce and their employers

• address challenges to the development of PA working

• share good practice examples from around the country

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Framework, PAs and employers 3: Audience and development

Audience is broad and sector wide• including all those with interest in developing person-

centred care

Developed in co-production with sector partners • including Skills for Care, ADASS, UNISON, the National Centre for

Independent Living, user-led organisations, local authorities, the Transforming Adult Social Care co-production group, plus regional services users groups, individual PAs and PA employers.

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Framework, PAs and employers 4: Methodology

Every effort made to include the views of people who use services

• focus groups of PA employers and PAs• research with stakeholders• PA summit• drafting undertaken in co-production (DH, SCIE, SfC)• stakeholder ‘trusted friends’ comment

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Framework, PAs and employers 5: What difference will it make?

Starting point for further work

• Leading to support for employers and PAs given growth in PA working, and sharing information and examples of how workforce challenges are met in different parts of the country, working with existing resources, in new and different ways

• Does not provide all the answers but for the first time brings together many of the issues facing the future of PA working in one place.

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Framework, PAs and employers 6: What about risks?

Government policy – a modern social care system needs to balance freedom and choice with risk and protection.

Personalisation - both clear benefits and new challenges, including necessity for individuals to manage risks.

PA framework approach enables individuals to have choice and control over their lives while also staying safe. Promotes a positive and informed approach to risk taking and management.

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Next steps 1:

Received Ministerial clearance for publication last week

Launch event planned for July 27 – Ministerial visit to leading ULO

Sector-wide joint delivery with Skills for Care as lead delivery partner

Governance through DH ASC workforce Programme Board

Timescales: Delivery plan developed over Summer with key milestones and implementation

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Next steps 2:

DH is committed to supporting PAs and employers over coming years

We would welcome input from ADASS Disability Network in support of the implementation of the PA framework delivery plan, over the coming months and years.

Thankyou