The problem with the question

1. What are the opportunities from the Housing Bill and the Social Services Bill to make services more citizen directed? Beth yw’r cyfleoedd o’r Bil Tai a’r Bil Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol i wneud i’r gwasanaethau gael mwy o cyfarwyddyd gan ddinasyddion? Judith North, Reach

2. The problem with the question • What are the opportunities from the Housing Bill and the Social Services Bill to make services more citizen directed? • What are the opportunities from the Housing Bill and the Social Services Bill to enable people betterdirect their own lives?

3. Features of a citizen-directed system • Choice & control are real. • It reflects & delivers what’s possible, not what’s available (now). • Draws on natural & community supports. • About life, not just about services. • Gives people entitlement, knowledge of and control over resources. • Focussed on strength, gifts and possibility - not deficits. • Direction is set by the person.

4. Some opportunities – Social Services Bill • “Strong voice & real control” • Portability & reform of assessments / process including self assessment. • National eligibility framework • Extending direct payments • National outcomes framework • Pooled budgets

5. Unintended consequences - Social Services Bill • “People in need”, “vulnerable people” • A “definition of social care services” • A voice and real control = information. • Assessment, care & support planning, review. • Professionalism / workforce registration. • Range of regulatory activity. • What’s “monitored” & what’s “not”.

6. Some opportunities –Housing Bill • Wider range of tenure & increasing supply of housing including cooperative tenure. • Duty of cooperation to improve joint workingincluding enhanced role for not-for-profit organisations, including housing associations in delivering health & social care to support tenants, their families and communities. • Reviewing range of aids and adaptations programmes to secure improvements. • Accessible housing register in every local authority. • Better advice, information & advocacy.

7. Unintended consequences - Housing Bill • Regionalisation & SP. • Range of funding sources to which “direct payment” extends. • Demands from general needs.

8. And if we measure the legislation in terms of outcomes – how will we know? • “Service users” won’t exist – only people will. • People will be defined by their aspirations, expectations and capabilities – not labels & limitations • People will live “at home”, not in services, service models, projects and schemes. • Rational / professionalised assessment replaced by co productive dialogue. • Regulation will have its place, not the whole pitch. • We’ll be accountable to people first, state second. • Entitlement – clear & quantified. • People & families will be the experts on themselves.

9. Three questions you could ask yourself when responding: How does what we do fit in to that? How will we do what the legislation sets out to achieve? Can & how will we use what’s in the legislation to do what needs to be done?

10. Don’t limit yourself to commenting on what came out of the MOT if what you think we need is a new car.