Adult social care eligibility criteria - innovations and developments: report

Appendix C

What Matters

Adam Devanakis, Neath and Port Talbot, Wales

From a practitioner's perspective, Adam described a shift in culture and systems in social work over several years (driven by the 2016 Welsh Social Services and Wellbeing Act). Previously Wales had an integrated assessment model similar to Scotland's single shared assessment, and Adam described a shift away from a forty plus page tick-box integrated assessment document aligned with a menu of standardised services, to assessment grounded in dialogue and celebrating strengths. There is a far stronger focus on the assessment phase in making sure the understanding is right, through finding out what matters to the person, with a more tailored approach.

Approach

The shift in practice has been coupled with and supported by a change in management thinking and a different approach to 'service' provision (investing in preventative services and supports, carers support services, working closely with the third sector and making use of local area coordinators who understand universal service capabilities and communities to reduce reliance on traditional services). There is also a strong focus on the role of consultant social worker in Neath and Port Talbot, which promotes leadership amongst staff, and identifies a group of staff who can help to embed the change across their teams.

In a separate earlier presentation from 2021, we heard about the wider programme of work on collaborative assessment through Welsh presenters at the Personal Outcomes Network*. Here we heard about the collaborative communication skills programme in Wales, commissioned by Social Work Wales (similar to SSSC). This focuses on promoting 'what matters' conversations. This is a staff development programme which also recognises the need to involve managers within organisations in adapting their approach to model strengths-based conversations with staff. This is further supported by a national mentors' network where case studies, tools, challenges and learning are exchanged and a shared understanding of values and purpose develops.

Requirements

• o Modeling of good conversations by managers
• o A shift in assessment to focusing on 'what matters' to people
• o Less reliance on funding panels as the arbiters of decision-making in social work
• o Opportunities to learn and share with colleagues to support the change in culture

Learning

As a practitioner, Adam did not have access to performance indicators to say how the authority is doing with budgets, but since putting in the new model of practice, on a personal and collective level in Neath and Port Talbot practitioners have not experienced pressure to lower the budgets, and this is taken by staff as an indication they are doing something right. Service user survey feedback has also been positive and practitioners are much more satisfied with this way of working. Although Adam said he could not speak for the whole of South Wales, discussion with colleagues through different forums etc. suggested a similar picture.

*https://www.wevideo.com/view/2426196479