Margaret Wheatley is Glasgow City Council Social Work’s Lead Officer for Self Directed Support and is in charge of the ground breaking pilot scheme in the East End of the city.
Margaret Wheatley, Glasgow City Council Social Work’s Lead Officer for Self Directed Support
As one of the driving forces behind the introduction of Self Directed Support in Glasgow she has a very clear view of the challenges involved and what stage the work is at.
Margaret said: “Obviously we are at the very earliest stages, and a lot of people are just realising the implications and need for fundamental change in the way we do business.
“Basically, we are trying to build a four lane super highway to take people to a new system of providing support that will enable them to take control of their own lives.
“But at the moment it’s like trying to find your way through all road works, diversions and hold-ups on the south side of the city as they build the new link from the Kingston Bridge to the M74.
“Once we get through that part of the process then we should be able to enjoy a really clear run. How quickly we see the road opening ahead will depend on the consultation the government has launched.”
“The response to the national strategy for SDS launched by the Scottish government may hopefully help the road open ahead.”
Margaret whose previous responsibilities included working as a commissioner of services said: “This whole process is about transforming the entire system including the social care market.”
This is how she sees the changes impact on the key players in the sector.
Commissioners: “The role of the commissioner changes from negotiating with providers, setting up services and placing people in these services to shaping the market to ensure a range of options are available for individual to purchase with their indidvual budgets.
“Commissioners need to understand what outcomes people want to achieve in their lives and start to shift to outcome based commissioning.
“The focus will be no longer on numbers of hours provided but on the outcomes achieved for the individual.”
Service Users: “With Self Directed Support the service user will be the person who actually purchases services on an individual basis or perhaps even with a group of people with similar needs or indeed aspirations.
“We hope that means the service providers will become more responsive to what people actually want from them.
“Clearly we as a council will always have to purchase or provide some services for people who don’t want to be involved, or who are perhaps vulnerable.”
Providers: “This group also faces huge changes and Glasgow Social Care Providers Forum is doing a fantastic job helping them understand the issues.
“The providers know this change is coming, and they know they won’t have a choice about how they respond. They simply have to change in what is effectively a sink or swim situation.
“The good providers are getting their heads round the opportunities. They realise they will actually have to go out and speak to people and do market research to find out what they want.
“I think that approach is badly needed. It’s something the entire sector is not particularly good at, although we, the council, and providers are getting better with various initiatives on user involvement and participation.”
Care Managers and Practitioners: “We have begun work with social workers, managers and other professionals who are out there working with the clients and who will ultimately have to make the new system work.
“Some Care Managers think that Self Directed Support will undermine their role if it simply involves asking a service user what they want.
“But the Care Manager’s role is absolutely critical in terms of risk assessment and evaluating all the implications that the service user might not appreciate as well as being responsible for signing off resource allocations to individual service users, and ensuring support plans meet agreed outcomes.”
“Crucially they also have to come to terms with developing new relationships with clients and move to facilitation of client choice and self determination. Some practitioners however see here an opportunity to return to traditional social work values and roles.”
Regulators: “The regulators have concerns, about issues like the potential for an unregulated work force, and how health and safety risks are managed.
Support Organisations: “As a council we think organisations like Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living have a key role to play in providing help, support and advice for people moving into Self Directed Support.”
The Future: “Depending on the response to the consultation process, Self Directed Support could become the default position.
“At the moment anyone who requires support is offered a provided or purchased services unless they opt out. But the future could become like making organ donation automatic unless someone has a card saying they don’t want to be donors.”
Margaret added: “Self Directed Support requires absolute fundamental transformational change in our Council to empower people to design their own support in flexible, creative ways and give them a real life rather than being in a service.
“It’s about helping anyone with a disability live the life of a normal ordinary citizen rather than exist in a bubble of care.”
