Personalisation

Personalisation is one of the leading policy and practice reforms of public services. These pages give news, information, and access to support for voluntary sector organisations and commissioners seeking to develop personalised practice in their services.

In this section

• News
• Introduction, definition and resources (opens a new page)
• Implications:
  • for voluntary sector providers
  • for commissioners
• Personalisation in Health
• Putting Personalisation into Practice: bespoke training (from NCVO and Community Catalysts)

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News

Strengthening User-Led Organisations' Fund

The national Office for Disability Issues announced in July 2011 a £3 million fund for the strengthening of disability user-led organisations (ULOs) - a core componetnt of the transformation of adult social care agenda.

Dilnot Review 'Fairer Care in Funding' of adult social care

In July 2011 the Government commissioned Commission on Funding of Care and Support published its recommendations in the 'Fairer Care in Funding Report'.

In the next twenty years, the number of people aged 85 and over in England is projected to double to 2.4 million. 

The current adult social care funding system, conceived in 1948, means that those with assets of more than £23,250 are liable for the full cost of their social care needs. A quarter of 65 year olds today can expect to face care costs of over £50,000 and for one in 10 it will be more than £100,000.

Costs would be capped and the means-tested threshold increased under major changes to the funding of adult social care in England, recommended by the Commission on Funding of Care and Support in its final report Fairer Care Funding.

Instead of individuals’ paying all their care costs until they have assets of less than £23,250, as under the current system, the proposals would mean that those with high care costs would only pay up to a set amount and after that their care costs would be paid for by the State.

The independent commission, set up by the Government last July, was asked to recommend a fair and sustainable funding system for adult social care in England.

Among the recommendations in the report are:

• Individuals’ lifetime contributions towards their social care costs –  which are currently potentially unlimited – should be capped.  After the cap is reached, individuals would be eligible for full state support. This cap should be between £25,000 and £50,000. We consider that £35,000 is the most appropriate and fair figure;
• The means-tested threshold, above which people are liable for their full care costs, should be increased from £23,250 to £100,000;
• National eligibility criteria and portable assessments should be introduced to ensure greater consistency; and
• All those who enter adulthood with a care and support need should be eligible for free state support immediately rather than being subjected to a means test.

The Commission estimates that its proposals – based on a cap of £35,000 – would cost the State around £1.7billion.

In addition to funding the proposed reforms, the Commission said that additional public funding for the current means-tested system is urgently required.

Full details are available on the DH webpages of both the Commission and the Report.

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