How we've helped councils:

• Improving personal budget strategies including streamlining process; checking results using the POET tool; direct payments uptake; developing Individual Service Funds, increasing take up with people; workforce development.
• Resource Allocation System (RAS) support for developing personal budgets
• Individual Support Funds (ISFs) strategy and development.
• Community Fund Holdings
• Awareness days
• Basic training - legislation, personal budgets, personal health budgets, person centred planning, values, asset based working, change management etc.
• Reducing the use of external placement.
• Developing Local Accounts using the Think Local Act Personal Making it Real markers of personalisation progress.
• Supporting provider development including use of the Progress for Providers personalisation tools, helping providers to reduce use of paid support, introducing Individual Service Funds for homecare.
• Mapping and building community capacity.
• Dispute resolution/mediation and mentoring
• Leadership programmes with disabled people and families to develop local "Partners in Policymaking".

What's on offer?

• Help with building resilient communities and self advocates.
• Bespoke one-to-one organisational tailored support.
• Option to join the Be Human initiative and check against your principles. " Can your organisation be more human?".
• Access and support to use the Personal Outcome Evaluation Tool (POET).
• A range of webinars and peer support online collaboration.
• Capturing positive stories of what's working for you and others and sharing across our community.

What does it look like practically?

• Support with building self advocacy and resilience in your communities - encouraging resourcefulness and creativity that local people and their families can draw on and recognising and valuing their roles as equal partners, giving people real choice and control over their lives
  Individual days of bespoke support tailored to meet organisational challenges. This could be around themes such as Educational personalised budgets, individual study plans, bespoke fostering, engaging families, self efficiency strategy, making EHC plans work! Up to 4 days.
• A series of Webinars covering a range of topics including ‘Lets talk about’ debates bringing people together to share good practice and community problem solving.
• The opportunity to join the Be Human initiative, a charter type set of principles of what of what we would like to expect from good public services and organisations, you can test these principles in various ways with your employees and or with recipients of support.
• Access an annual license to use the Personal Outcome Evaluation Tool (POET) to capture the views of practitioners, parents/carers and young people with an Education Health and Care Plan or SEND on the support they get and the impact it has had on their lives and measuring the outcomes of personal budgets and personalised care and support, and the impact they are having on people's lives.
• Help with evaluating what’s working well and capturing that through collating positive stories to share, spreading what is possible through good practice
• Additional bespoke support when needed at member discounted rates.
• A named support person who can support you and/ or access support from our network of associates and team members

Our Community of Change Programme is bespoke. We have a team of expert advisers, which includes parents and carers with a range of different backgrounds. Our advisers deliver training and workshops, attend meetings and act as 'critical friends.'