There are many challenges and obstacles for care and support providers in this changing market. Some of these include:

• Commissioning intentions and priorities are already changing
• Future of Supporting People Programme
• Moving from block contracts
• Public funding cuts
• Changing customer expectations
• Competition in an emerging open market environment
• Keeping existing customers
• Attracting new customers
• Developing market presence
• Developing a sustainable business model
• “Sell”  services that customers will want to “buy into”
• Workforce Development
• Asset Management
• Quality Assurance & Performance Monitoring

Individuals who access care and support services, that is to say “customers”, are the future commissioners of provider services. Customers will have their own budget, or a budget managed on their behalf, and choose to “buy into” the services that they feel will best meet their needs and offer the best value for money.

Customers are already using their budgets to “buy into” new and existing provider services.

Providers who recognise the risks and opportunities that Personalisation presents are already actively engaged in developing their services and business models to meet the changing needs of this new emerging open market environment. Whilst each provider need to address issues specific to their business, there are some common issues and challenges that all providers need to consider and address:

• Identify potential risks to business and services provided
• Finding new collaborative ways of working & developing new partnerships
• Develop a range of service models for people to choose from
• Move away from the way services are funded to how they are delivered
• Manage transition from block contracts
• Create opportunities for social inclusion
• Identify potential market opportunities (advocacy/ support planning/ brokerage/ personal assistants/ customer base/ training/education/employment/prevention/early intervention)
• Tailor support to meet individual needs
• Customers involvement in development,  delivery, monitoring and reviewing of services
• New types of contracts with customers/ commissioners
• Sub-contracting in/out staff and services
• Actual Costing/Pricing Services
• Marketing of Services
• Legal services/ HR/ Business planning/ Workforce development
• Staffing (training/skills/knowledge/ contracts/ recruitment/ job descriptions)
• Develop approach to deliver enabling outcomes led care and support services
• Quality assurance and performance monitoring systems and processes
• Finance/Accounting/Back Office Systems (Invoicing/monitoring large numbers of budgets/pooling resources/ direct payments/ financial monitoring returns)
• Existing Culture/ views of current customers
• Maximise use of property and other assets
• Explore Social investment products/ ensure working capitol requirements
• Develop more strategic approach to developing services

NOW! ITS NOT TOO LATE... BUT THERES NO TIME TO WAIT EITHER!

The market is already waiting for providers to catch up , for doors to open and do business.

Care and Support Providers who do not keep pace with change and plan and prepare for personalisation now will be at significant risk and much less likely to succeed in this new open market environment. Other similar providers operating locally will already have expanded their market potential, established their market presence, be attracting new customers, offering excellent value for money, demonstrate their successes in achieving outcomes, have well established partners and a prominent presence in the local community enhancing their reputation as the service to buy into.

For almost 3 years, SLK Training & Consultancy has been working alongside care and support providers to prepare for personalisation.

SLK has been actively supporting the development of the provider market and we have worked alongside providers who recognised the potential risks and opportunities that personalisation presents early in the transformation process and are already benefiting from their early preparations, expanding their market potential and opening their doors to customers who are in control of their own budget.

SLK is working alongside both Care and Supporting People Providers who understand the need to keep pace with change, address the impact of personalisation and make the best of emerging opportunities in this changing market environment.

DON'T BURY YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND, HELP IS JUST A CLICK AWAY

CONTACT SLK TO DISCUSS THE MANY WAYS WE CAN HELP YOU PREPARE FOR PERSONALISATION NOW!