Standards We Expect  by Catherine Bewley and Kiran Dattani Pitt

The Standards We Expect is a development and research project looking at person centred support, what makes it happen and what stops it. This is a 2 year project funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and it started in January 2006. The project is being run by a consortium (partners) that includes VIA, De Montfort University, Shaping Our Lives (the National Service User Network), and Brunel University.  

Previous research has highlighted that the implementation and adoption of a person centred service can be difficult. The project is working closely with 8 partner sites across the UK to look at these difficulties.

The 8 partner sites are diverse, ranging from services for people with learning difficulties from black and ethnic minority communities in one area to older people with dementia in another.  Previous research has also identified that the voices of service users and front-line workers are not fully represented, something the project aims to address.

In the first year of the project, the partners had to spend a lot of time getting the necessary ethical approvals which has now been achieved.  In the meanwhile the partners were also involved in recruiting a Project Worker.  Michael Glynn was appointed to this post and his work has helped the project focus on what needs to be done.  In mid-November, to mark the end of the first phase of the project, we held a “get-together” conference in London. It was really interesting to have a mix of service user groups at this event. Although it was a challenge to ensure that the voices of people with learning difficulties were heard, it was really good to see the cross-fertilisation of ideas and what worked in some areas and what would be a way forward to overcome the barriers.   

The second phase of the project will include interviews with front-line practitioners and managers, and a very exciting training programme for service users, practitioners and managers. The aim for the project is to enable service users to take part more equally in discussions about person centred support in their areas and, hopefully, be a catalyst for change.

The aim for the training is to enable service users to:

• Have a better understanding of their rights as disabled people/service users.

• Have more knowledge, confidence and control over their life.

• Have a better understanding behind Independent Living and person centred support and the barriers to achieving it.

© 2008 Values Into Action