People who use services, and carers are becoming more active participants in social care provision, training and employment. They are no longer the passive recipients of services.

Skills for Care is committed to ensuring people who use services and carers get an opportunity to have their say and participate in projects, to ensure that activities undertaken by Skills for Care reflect their needs, wants and aspirations.

In November 2007, the Skills for Care Board agreed strategies for the participation of people who use services, and carers in the work of Skills for Care.

The strategies outline the underlying principles on which participation will be based and the broad framework for improving the participation of people who use services, and carers in the sector.

Of particular importance is how Skills for Care can support those people who are receiving Individual Budgets and Direct Payments and thereby taking control of commissioning their own services, and how the adult social care workforce can be adapted in line with these changes in service provision.

The strategies were developed in collaboration with people who use services and carers, both with individuals and with established networks and organisations.

The strategies are also based on the experiences of regional and national staff within Skills for Care who have been taking steps to involve people who use services, and carers in their work areas over the past few years.

In order to implement the strategies, Skills for Care will continue to look at best practice, establishing benchmarks for participation and develop support structures to assist people who use services, and carers who participate with us.

By engaging with Board members and staff, the participative culture will become embedded over time, and internal processes and procedures will be developed to reflect this cultural shift.

The strategies and executive summary are available to download below and are also available in accessible easy-read versions.

Click here