'Putting people first' protocol

Putting people first was heralded a 'landmark protocol', which aimed to ensure independent living for all adults through a joined-up and collaborative partnership between local and central government, the voluntary sector, providers and the social care regulator.

The agreement included the following commitments:

• encouraging stronger local leadership, alongside genuine partnership working, to create a high quality and responsive care system
• agreeing and sharing outcomes on issues such as independent living, personal choice and control and active participation in community life
• encouraging the use of joint strategic needs assessments to drive change
• offering personal budgets to those who were eligible
• promoting person-centred planning with a greater emphasis on self-assessment and management
• offering direct payments to enable users to plan and purchase their own care
• involving relatives and carers in care planning
• encouraging every locality to seek to have a single community-based support system focused on the health and wellbeing of the local population.