The personalisation agenda means a major shift in the way care and support providers approach service development and delivery. This article gives a brief overview of some of the most critical business issues for service providers.
Residential care, housing with support and domiciliary care services have traditionally been service led according to models established by commissioners and regulators. The personalisation agenda requires service development, which includes the commissioning process to reflect what individuals really want according to their own basic needs, preferences and aspirations.
Personalisation throws up a number of challenges and opportunities with sweeping changes taking place across the care and support sectors. Here's a snapshot of some of the key issues service providers have to deal with:
1. Recruitment, retention and development of new skills for staff will become critical issues for the market as a whole and on an individual provider basis.
2. Personalisation provides opportunities for the care and support sectors to offer a wider range of work through the development of the personal assistant role and brokerage skills.
3. All services will be focused on outcomes agreed chosen by customers. Services able to evidence results for their service users will have a more competitive edge as the market matures.
4. Opportunities for organisations to diversify and specialise will exist for providers able to respond to developing markets.
5. Recognition that customers may value services that move beyond traditional definitions or care and/or support. The meaning of 'eligibility' will take on new meanings and will be redundant in some cases.
6. Providers will need invoicing and accounting systems able to handle payments made by individuals from personal budgets.
7. New business skills will be required for many organisations that need to learn how to market their services directly to customers and to 3rd party intermediaries such as brokers and advice agencies.
8. Local partnerships between private, voluntary sector organisations and local authorities will change as new personalisation roles emerge. Commissioning will be more about market facilitation with less emphasis on control. Providers should have more freedom to innovate according to needs and preferences of customers.
For more information on how to approach personalisation including specific advice for housing with support, carers, and home care providers, the Social Care Institute for Excellence regularly publish useful advice.
Glen Crosier is a marketing and business development consultant based in Brighton, England specialising in the care, support and community sector. He is author of the sellingcare.co.uk Selling Care blog which provides marketing tips for care and support service providers linked to the sellingcare.co.uk/personalisation-agenda personalisation agenda.
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