Social Work and Personalisation

In the early years of the 21st century the policy of personalisation has been actively pursued across all four British countries. Drawing on the work of the disability movement, personalisation aims to increase the levels of choice and control for adult users of social care services. It suggests that much preceding practice has magnified individuals’ dependency and constrained their choice. During implementation it has been suggested that social workers should move away from rationing towards advocacy and brokerage. This paper examines social work within personalisation from three perspectives. First, it engages with those areas of policy that chime with social work principles and values. It then rehearses the elements of the reform agenda which are more questionable from the social work viewpoint. Finally it links the implementation of policy to the impact of substantial cuts in social care budgets as the effects of the Conservative-led coalition’s austerity programme bite.