Commissioning for personalisation: Dorset
The video highlights initiatives funded by Dorset County Council Innovation Fund. The fund provides start-up money for small independent providers to develop a range of services which local people with personal budgets might purchase. The idea is that the projects will eventually be self sustaining. A key feature of the fund is that the panel which assesses the applications is predominantly made up of people who use services and carers.
This video describes a project for adults with learning disabilities call New Ground. This teaches participants to grow and cook their own food. Another project featured is ‘Woofability', a small enterprise which provides specially trained dogs to disabled people as helpers and companions. The film ends by featuring a project which aims to improve the capacity of the county’s user-led organisations to share resources, expertise and back offices functions.
Messages for practice
- Commissioning should provide a choice of high-quality, small-scale local services
- Commissioners are developing their understanding of the range of potential small providers and how these providers can work together to increase sustainability
- There are significant advantages to involving people who use services and carers when making commissioning decisions.
Who will find this useful?
Social workers and other care professionals Commissioners of social care services Community health professionals Local councillors Private, voluntary and public providers of services