A focus on outcomes is a cornerstone of the current social care agenda, following the White Paper ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Say’ and the Commission for Social Care Inspection performance assessment framework for adult social care.  It is embedded in the new personalisation agenda in social care (as outlined in ‘Transforming Social Care’) and is increasingly part of the delivery and regulation of public services.

 

‘Outcomes into Practice’ is a comprehensive Resource Pack for managers and trainers published in 2003 by the Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of York.  Based on a five-year programme of research and development and funded by the Department of Health, the Pack identifies ways in which the outcomes of social care can become more central to routine practice and evaluation of services.

Acton Shapiro contributed to the final development of the SPRU Pack and helped to refine the training materials.  Since its publication we have been providing tailor-made training based on the Pack, for senior and middle managers, care managers, social workers and other staff, and for partners in the health and voluntary sectors.  Our experience has shown that, given the breadth of implications - for practice, systems and culture - from taking an outcomes focus, authorities are wise to take a broad ‘whole systems’ approach.  We offer consultancy support with this process which varies according to local needs, for instance working with a small group of senior managers at strategic level and/or facilitating local learning networks for practitioners.

We have been working on outcomes with a number of local authorities in England and Wales, including Coventry, Dudley South, Flintshire, Neath Port Talbot, North-East Lincolnshire, Nottingham, Oxfordshire, Reading, St. Helen's, Swansea, Torfaen, Wokingham and Worcestershire.