What users and carers want from services delivered in partnership

1. What users and carers want from services delivered in partnership University of Glasgow Research Project Ailsa Cook (QMUC), Emma Miller (Uni of Glasgow) and Alison Petch (RiPfa) Part of Modernising Adult Social Care Programme

2. Background • Effectiveness of partnership working from perspective of users and carers • 250 interviews with: • older people, • mental health service users, • people with learning disabilities • 15 services in Scotland and England • Research carried out in partnership with user researchers

3. About the services • Established partnership working • Operational • Strategic • Identified as examples of good practice • Convenient geographical location

4. About the services

5. Engaging users and carers • Semi structured interview schedule • Outcomes focus • Impact of service use on life • Treatment in service • Asked views on partnership working arrangements

6. Quality of Life Feeling safe Having things to do Seeing people Staying well Living life as want Living where want Dealing with stigma Process Listened to Choice Treated as individual Reliability Respect Outcomes

7. Key Findings • Service users valued: • Holistic services that met social, emotional and physical needs and built confidence • Easy access to support when needed, including out of hours and weekends • Support from specialist services • A say in nature, timing and location of service provision • Good relationships with individual staff • Good communication between staff / agencies

8. Key Findings 2: • Service users did not want: • Choice over service provider • Time limited interventions • Equity of access an issue for learning disability services • Direct payments and independent living improved life for some • Inequity in resources between areas • Users reported different levels and quality of service within areas

9. Mental Health • Interviewees reported that services kept them alive, out of hospital and well • Responsive, accessible services vital in an emergency and helped people feel safe • Social contact with staff and other service users important for emotional and social support, dealing with stigma • Activities gave a structure to the day and helped users stay well

10. Learning Disability • People with well resourced, individualised packages of support reported good quality of life • Advocacy important for getting good support • Integrated services generally met health needs of users • Relationships with staff very important to quality of life • Choice, independence and opportunities to live a ‘normal’ life valued

11. Older People • Partnerships delivered change for older service users • Supporting quality of life more difficult – achieved in proactive, nurturing services • Home care problematic in all sites • Fluid interventions paced to service user worked best • Safety key issue for most older people • Services played vital role in reducing social exclusion

12. What makes for a good partnership • Not time limited • Established history of joint working on the ground • Supported by strategic level partnership • Good resources • Co-location of staff • Stable workforce • Partnership extends beyond the core health and social services, voluntary and housing included too. • Users nurtured by the service

13. Conclusions • Users and carers views vital to understanding partnerships • Partnership can deliver what users and carers want • Holistic, integrated services keep people well, out of institutions and promote quality of life • Quality of service more important than choice • Adequate resources vital

14. Further information For further information about this research project or to receive a copy of publications and the final report please contact: Dr Emma Miller, email: em73u@clinmed.gla.ac.uk, tel: 0141 3303294 or Dr Ailsa Cook, email: acook@qmuc.ac.uk, tel: 0131 3173601