Putting People First: Development of the Putting People First User Experience Survey (PSSRU Discussion Paper 2637)

Since 2001 all councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs) have been required to conduct annual user experience surveys (UES).These surveys have covered a number of client groups and service forms

including newly assessed clients (2001 and 2002), older people receiving home care (2003, 2006 and 2009), clients with physical or sensory impairments aged 18?64 receiving services to support them to live in their own homes (2004), users of equipment and minor adaptations (2008 and 2010), and carers (2010). Despite the valuable contribution that these surveys have made towards putting the views of users at the heart of decision?making there is a feeling that they need to change to fit today’s policy environment. In particular, the current focus of performance management on outcomes is not reflected in the questions. Previous

surveys have tended to focus on users’ experiences and perceptions of the way care is delivered, for example whether their carers arrived on time and so on, which,

whilst important, do not inform us whether the services provided are improving the well?being and quality of life of those who receive social care. With these issues in mind, the Department of Health (DH) commissioned PSSRU to assist in developing a new social care UES for 2010/11 that is consistent with the transformational agenda for social care set out in Putting People First (PPF.The aim of this paper is to seek views on the development and content of the

new PPF survey.