Setting out the challenges that the personalisation agenda presents for providers, suppliers and other professionals in the sector, he described in detail the “Your Voice” initiative that Craegmoor – who support over 4,000 people with learning disabilities, complex needs and mental health illnesses, as well as older people, across the UK – has rolled out nationally so that it leads by example.                                                                                            

“Your Voice” promotes three key actions – Ask, Listen and Do – to ensure that each and every person using a Craegmoor service feels completely empowered and involved in how the service is run.

Emphasising that the decision maker throughout has to be the person who uses the service, Ted told the conference:

“Everything that the Government does needs to be focused around the individuals that require support. The Government should not be thinking about what they can do to help care homes or supported living schemes or independent hospitals or whatever. The Government should focus on what can be done to help individuals and this must be backed up with appropriate funding.

“When the Government shifts into this all important mindset we might start to see positive changes. Changes that will affect all providers – so that all services place the people who use them at the centre of everything they do.

“Services that are high quality, good value and innovative with excellent outcomes will be the services of the future.

"Services that are described as poor or adequate. Services that are overpriced or, much worse, underpriced. Services that are narrow in their solutions. Above all, services that lack options for the people who use them to develop. These services will wither and die.

“In making this shift it will be the individuals who use services who will be the agents of change. Not the Government, not providers nor purchasers.  

“This is personalisation.”