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Ophira - services

Self Directed Support

Self Directed Support is emerging as best practice increasing choice and control for individuals requiring social care support. The 'Putting People First' concordat launched on the 10th of December 2007 recognised that the diverse range of individual needs means that the delivery of social care support needs to change and become increasingly flexible and responsive in the future. Self Directed Support offers a way to manage the growing numbers of people needing to access social care support funded either independently (self funders) or by local authorities.

Ophira's whole systems approach follows the care pathway and starts with universal services, information, advice and signposting through to assessment and delivery of support. We will provide you with support to develop key features such as accessibility, navigation and access channels. Our methods facilitate self serve where appropriate and provides clarity for engagement with customers that includes shared expectations with outcomes that promote independence and wellbeing.  It also acknowledges the need to change expectations of both providers and recipients of social care. This will promote targeted support for individuals and their carers where it is most needed and reduce the cost of accessing services. This reflects the need to move away from services that fostered dependence rather than independence, Green Paper, 'Independence, Well Being and Choice' (2005)

Ophira's approach enhances current customer facing services sustaining and increasing customer satisfaction. This is achieved through increasing customer awareness of what is available, increased accessibility and with a whole systems approach to streamlined delivery supported by proportionate, facilitating and personalised responses.

Our approach will contribute to achieving financial imperatives. The use of personal budgets supports the development of a more customer focused social care market that provides suitable support for  individuals and their carers. Ophira have developed a resource allocation methodology that  promotes equitable resource allocation closing any historical funding gap between different client groups in readiness for the forthcoming implementatation of the Equality Act in 2012. This enables effective use of resources and ensures that people are supported with tailored packages that achieve better outcomes  secured by timely and appropriate interventions such as access to information, reablement and rehabilitation services.

The resulting cultural shift in commissioning will also provide opportunities for new entrants into the social care market and encourage existing providers to develop new products that meet the customers' demands by specialising and diversifying. Our approach sees the role of commissioning increasing from the provision of traditional social care support and moving to an emerging strategic role that ensures full market coverage supplying support for individuals wherever they may be on the care pathway.

Ophira's methodology supports the notion of empowering individuals to gain equality of opportunity and to build and sustain their citizenship.