Currently people who require social care and support, especially those who have large support packages need to be assessed by a number of organisations to obtain a number of funding streams that makes up the total package. If my own case, if you include DLA/PIP, I am assessed by four  organisations, all of which have their own criteria, rules, desired outcomes and so on.

These organisations do not communicate well with each other and as a result to obtain by ‘individual budget’ I have left playing piggy in middle, balancing the needs of each organisation to meet by outcomes. So the aim of any social care reform must be to make the user experience easier and this should mean one assessment.

Not only would it help me and many users but if it is done properly,it would save money simply in administration costs. I have believed for many years that DLA/PIP and a lot raft of funding sources should be replace by a single “Inclusion Fund” where someone got what they needed to meet their wellbeing and inclusion outcomes co-produced with the state. While it may take a few decades, I am convinced this will be achieved within my lifetime.