Personalisation in Hampshire

Finding out what people are prepared to pay for

Personalisation and personal budgets mean people have increasing choice and freedom to decide how to achieve the things that matter most to them – their desired outcomes. Even for those who receive public funding, this may not always fund everything they would like to do and some individuals, together with their families, may be prepared to add some of their own resources. There is also a growing number of people who buy their own support and care.

The Social Enterprise Market Intelligence Survey report summarises the findings of a survey, made available across Hampshire and Southampton, aimed at finding out what services people would be prepared to pay for. It is specifically for people, or organisations, interested in providing new services and activities relating to health and wellbeing.

The conclusion points out that for many people, it is not easy to think differently about the services they are currently receiving - some of that comes from hearing personal stories from other people about what they are doing, eg in focus groups, and then thinking they might try it. The findings should be regarded as a 'starter for 10' and it will still be necessary to carry out market research around any specific ideas you may have.

The survey was undertaken as part of the SECC project (South East Coastal Communities, involving 9 universities funded by HEFCE to work with local communities on projects about meeting needs while improving health and wellbeing). The partners working on this particular research were Carers Together, Community Action Hampshire, Southampton Voluntary Services, RISE Computers, Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council.

You can see the survey report here.

The Hampshire Model

The personalisation agenda is being taken forward by HCC Adult Services Dept under the umbrella of the Hampshire Model. The Model has 8 work strands.

Universal offer available to all
Free crisis care
Self directed support (SDS)
Market development
User involvement
Carers
Learning Disability Transformation
Process and efficiency

Read a CAH briefing which briefly sets out what each work strand is about.

Market development website

A market development website has been set up by Hampshire’s Adult Services, and is available for any provider wishing to ‘do business’ in the personalisation market place. The website links to many external sources of information and support, and aims to feature case studies from here in Hampshire and further afield.

Care Choice website

This website, launched in October 2009, has been developed by Hampshire County Council, mainly in consultation with service users, including self funders. Visit the Care Choice website.

Framework agreements

Even with the take-up of personal budgets, there will still be a need for HCC to contract for certain services. Adult Services are introducing framework agreements, and these are being developed initially around learning disability domiciliary care and support services under a 4-year framework. Under a framework agreement providers go through a tendering process. Successful providers may then be used for ‘call offs’, eg to provide ‘x’ number of hours care at an already identified rate, or they may be invited to participate in ‘mini-competitions’ to deliver outcomes for particular individuals. (If you are not on the framework, your organisation will not be used for call offs or mini-competitions for the duration of the framework.) Providers have to commit to managing Individual Service Funds (ISFs) to get onto the framework. There is no guaranteed volume of business under the framework agreement.

Individual Service Funds (ISFs)

When someone is allocated their personal budget, one of the options available to them is to have a provider hold the money on their behalf – the service provider manages someone’s budget in consultation with them. This is an ISF.

the money is held by the provider on the individual’s behalf
the person decides how to spend the money – they may not want to spend all of the money with the one provider
the provider is accountable to the person
the provider commits to only spend the money on the individual and what they want to achieve, and the management and support necessary to provide that service (not into a general pooled budget).