Covid recovery: learning from person-centred approaches

Conclusions

This project has identified a number of core attributes which are present in person-centred approaches. Greater precision around the use of the term 'person-centred' is required and at the policy design stage, policy documents need to be clear about what is meant by 'person-centred'. Clearly defining what is meant by the term will help services identify and overcome and address some of the barriers identified within this report.

Whilst person-centred approaches may require greater up-front investment of resources, they also have the potential to result in longer term preventative savings through addressing enduring issues such as homelessness, substance use and offending. ^{Error! Bookmark not defined.} The investment in person-centred approaches should be set against the costs (in financial and interpersonal terms) of not getting it right first time.

We need to ask: 'How much time would be saved, how much money, how much better an experience would people have, if services were more effective at understanding people's needs and more often meeting them than happens at present?'

The Covid-19 pandemic helped to facilitate person-centred approaches through allowing services to take 'risks'. In order to maintain these benefits, good risk management frameworks are required, which identify risk/ opportunity trade-offs and include the risks of maintaining the status quo and the opportunity costs of not pursuing alternative approaches.

Further research and evaluation is required in order to fully understand how the key attributes of person-centred approaches can support and improve outcomes in different contexts. There is a tension between the need for this further evidence on the effectiveness - including cost effectiveness - of person-centred approaches in different contexts, and seeking to keep reporting requirements manageable, so as not to become burdensome and impede efforts at person-centred approaches. Targeted and focused monitoring and evaluation may be the best way to resolve this tension.

This report has examined a range of promising examples of person-centred approaches across a diverse range of policy areas. It will be important to continue to learn from these policy innovations in order to move towards the vision articulated within the 2011 Christie Commission report of 'a sustainable, person-centred system, achieving outcomes for every citizen and every community'. ^[15]