A new website, developed for and by Disabled People launched yesterday at Disability Somerset.
Create my Support Plan is an online support planning tool for anyone receiving health and social care funding, conceived and created by the West of England Centre for Inclusive Living (WECIL).
Accessible, free and interactive the website allows individuals to plan their care at their own pace and in as much depth as they wish.
The unprecedented strains experienced by health and social care in the United Kingdom make adopting alternative and innovative approaches to support planning ever more imperative.
Cheri Wilkins, WECIL CEO says: “As an organisation run by and for Disabled People, we recognised the need to create a tool that would help people through the support planning process. Support plans are very valuable; they give Disabled People real choice and control over their life. However the process can be daunting and difficult without the necessary support. We are really proud of Create my Support Plan as there is now a tool that guides individuals through the process, giving prompts and peer-led ideas to enable them to consider all aspects of their life as they produce their plan.”
“It can be used independently or with the support of a social worker, friend or family member. We hope that Create my Support Plan will be adopted by local authorities, centres for independent and inclusive living and Disabled People and their supporters across the country.”
Mike Steel, Create my Support Plan project lead says: “Create my Support Plan has been led by Disabled People and carers. It continues to evolve as more people use it and take part.
We have learned a lot during this project, but at the core is one idea: Disabled People, carers and families know better than anyone else what they need to live their lives. Create my Support Plan has been designed to reflect this; what people need and what they can bring. It is also a practical way for people to clearly show how budgets can be used creatively to meet their needs, goals and ambitions.
“People have asked us for a tool that helps them think and plan at their own pace, in a way that suits them. This is our solution. Create my Support Plan will also strengthen other support planning methods and save time and money, by offering people a straightforward way to prepare for assessments and reviews. There isn’t anything quite like this website available yet”.
Sue Liebow, Steering Group Chair says: “We have worked together over many months to create a tool that will be efficient and make a real difference to the lives of those people who use it. A special thank you to all the members of the steering group and also to Mike Steel and Claire Charras, who have all contributed to make Create my Support Plan what it is today”.
Ms Baccus, a Create my Support Plan tester from Bristol says: “The support plan helped not just to think about what I needed on a daily basis but also about the quality of life I would really like to aim for. Support planning can seem quite a daunting process, looking at my overall needs helped me to positively look at the quality of the life I would like to live.”
According to Freedom of Information requests, support planning can take up to 100 hours of social worker time depending on the complexity of individual needs. Create my Support Plan will free up social services by giving individuals the capacity to prepare and complete their support plan in the comfort of their own home.
According to WECIL surveys, several individuals reported that it took them several weeks to complete their support plans.
Find out more about Create my Support Plan at www.createmysupportplan.co.uk
