Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

'We' statements express what organisations should be doing to make sure people’s actual experience of care and support lives up to the 'I' statements.

WELLBEING AND INDEPENDENCE -LIVING THE LIFE I WANT, KEEPING SAFE AND WELL

WE STATEMENTS
- We have conversations with people to discover what they want from life and the care, support and housing that will enable this, without restricting solutions to formal services and conventional treatments.
- We work with people to make sure that their personal plans promote wellbeing and enable them to be as independent as possible.
- We work with people to manage risks by thinking creatively about options for safe solutions that enable people to do things that matter to them.
- We know it can be helpful for people to share experiences so we encourage specialised support, peer support, self-help and self-advocacy groups.
- We welcome ideas about using personal budgets flexibly and creatively.
- We look for ways to involve people in their communities where they feel included and valued for their contribution.
- We make sure people feel safe and comfortable in their own home, which is accessible, with appropriate aids, adaptations, technology and medical equipment.
- We know that the place where people live, the people they live with, and the support they get, are important to their wellbeing and often interlinked. We have conversations with people to make sure we get all aspects right for them as individuals.

INFORMATION AND ADVICE - HAVING THE INFORMATION I NEED, WHEN I NEED IT

WE STATEMENTS
- We provide free information and advice to everyone, including people who arrange or fund their own support and care.
- We provide accurate and up-to-date information in formats that we tailor to individual needs, face to face if necessary.
- We talk to people to find out how much information they want and follow up to find out if they want more detail.
- We provide information and advice about health, social care and housing which is tailored to a person’s situation without limiting their options and choices.
- We provide information and advice that reflects relevant law and/or clinical guidance.
- We provide information to make sure people know how to navigate the local health, care and housing system, including how to get more information or advice if needed.
- We make sure people know their legal rights and responsibilities.
- We tell people about person-centred approaches to planning and managing their support and make sure that they have the information, advice and support to think through what will work best for them.
- We provide information about what’s happening in our local community and how people can get involved.
We always include a contact name, telephone number and email address when giving advice or information electronically.
- We make sure we share information about what we do and how people can access our service with other relevant organisations so we can all work more effectively.
- We tell people about their rights to see their health and social care records and to ask for any mistakes to be put right.
- We get permission before sharing personal information.

ACTIVE AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITIES - KEEPING FAMILY, FRIENDS AND CONNECTIONS

WE STATEMENTS
- We make sure that people can keep in touch and meet up with their family, friends and people in the community who are important to them.
- We make sure that people have opportunities to make new friends and build relationships with other people who share their interests, culture and identity.
- We work in partnership with others to make our local area welcoming, supportive and inclusive for everyone.
- We work in partnership with others to create opportunities for people to work, both paid and voluntary, and to learn.
- We have a clear picture of all the community groups and resources in our area and use this when supporting people and planning services.
- We invest in community groups, supporting them with resources – not necessarily through funding – but with things like a place to meet or by sharing learning, knowledge or skills.
- We make sure that personalised care and support plans are co-produced and set out how people can be as active and involved in their community as possible, doing things that are important to them.

FLEXIBLE AND INTEGRATED CARE AND SUPPORT - MY SUPPORT, MY OWN WAY

WE STATEMENTS
- We work in partnership with others to make sure that all our services work seamlessly together from the perspective of the person accessing services.
- We work with others to agree a single, integrated personal plan and provide a named coordinator for people accessing more than one service.
- We talk with people to find out what matters most to them, their strengths and what they want to achieve and build these into their personalised care and support plans.
- We work with people as equal partners and combine our respective knowledge and experience to support joint decision-making.
- We tell people about their rights to advocacy and representation and make sure these services are available.
- We want people to be as involved as possible in writing their personalised care and support plans and provide help from people who understand the importance of personcentred planning.
- We make sure that people can rely on and build relationships with the people who work with them and get consistent support at times that make sense for them.
- We work flexibly to meet people’s fluctuating requirements for care and support, enabling the flexible use of personal budgets over time and with minimal restrictions.
- We review people’s personalised care and support plans with them regularly, focusing on whether they are doing the things they identified as important to them.
- We make sure that our organisational policies and procedures reflect the duties and spirit of the law and do not inadvertently restrict people’s choice and control.

WHEN THINGS NEED TO CHANGE - STAYING IN CONTROL

WE STATEMENTS
- We support people to plan for important life changes, so they can have enough time to make informed decisions about their future.
- We make sure that staff working in short-term settings or situations understand people’s care, treatment and support requirements and work in a person-centred way.
- We talk to people during and after significant changes to find out if their requirements for care, support and housing have changed and to review their aspirations.
- We talk through changes in treatment or medication with people so they understand the changes and possible implications or side effects, seeing people holistically in the context of their life.
- We work with people to write a plan for emergencies and make sure that everyone involved in supporting the person knows what to do and who to contact in a health or social care emergency. We make sure that any people or animals that depend on the person are looked after and supported properly.
- We make sure that people, and those closest to them, know what to do and who to contact if their health condition, support arrangements or housing conditions are deteriorating and a crisis could develop. We respond quickly to anyone raising concerns.

WORKFORCE - THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT ME

WE STATEMENTS
- We don’t make assumptions about what people can or cannot do and don’t limit or restrict people’s options.
- We see people as individuals with unique strengths, abilities, aspirations and requirements and value people’s unique backgrounds and cultures.
- We know how to have conversations with people that explore what matters most to them – how they can achieve their goals, where and how they live, and how they can manage their health, keep safe and be part of the local community.
- We have a ‘can do’ approach which focuses on what matters to people and we think and act creatively to make things happen for them.
- We keep up to date with local activities, events, groups and learning opportunities and share this knowledge so that people have the chance to be part of the local community.