Personalised care, whilst a relatively new policy in health, has a long history in social care and its principles run through everything we do. Personalised care calls for a practical and cultural shift to enable people to have choice and control over the way their care and support is planned and delivered, based on what matters to them. It is one of the five major changes to the NHS that were promised in the NHS Long-Term Plan.
Personalised care is based on the humanistic, or person-centred, psychology of Carl Rogers which requires deep listening and a sense of connection or congruence between those giving and receiving care. It builds on a belief in the ‘biopsychosocial’ model, which better describes the complex interconnecting factors around a person that impact on their health.
It also originates from the disabled people’s and independent living movements - people and families themselves campaigning and fighting for choice and control in their own lives. This movement has changed the policy landscape in the UK, from the Education Act 1970, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Direct Payments Act 1996 through to the NHS Long-Term plan.
You can learn more about these movements and what it takes to make much-needed change happen in our health and care systems by participating in our programmes. Some of our tutors and speakers were there for key moments in history.
In the meantime, this short animation explains what personalised care means for people, professionals and the health and care system.