Government Launches Guidance To Assist In Support For Self Care, UK

Health Minister Ivan Lewis announced the introduction of seven
Common Core Principles to Support Self Care, designed to help health
and social care staff support people to live independently, stay
healthy and make the most of their lives by managing their
conditions.



The Common Core Principles, which have been developed with Skills for
Health and Skills for Care, will be available to employers, managers
and workers in health and social care services so that they can use
them to help service users get the most out of their care.



The principles aim to help health and social care services enable
people to have better control over and responsibility for their own
health and well-being, working in partnership with health and social
care professionals. The Common Core Principles are intended to
support self care in its broadest sense by helping staff across
health and social care develop the skills needed to provide people
with access to appropriate training, information and support
networks. They are aimed at, but not limited to, staff supporting
individuals living with a long term condition or with complex needs.



Minister for Care Services Ivan Lewis said:



"Supporting self care is consistent with our policy of putting people
first. People want control over their lives enabling them, their
families and carers to maintain and improve their well-being and
independence.



The Common Core Principles to Support Self Care are intended to be a
resource for reflection, challenge and practice change. Their purpose
is to enable organisations and all those who work in health and
social care, whether as commissioners, service providers or
educators, to make personalised services, enablement and early
intervention to promote independence a reality."



Minister for Health Services Ann Keen said:



"We encourage commissioners, employers and workers to embed the
principles in their policies, their agreements with other agencies,
and their own culture and practices. In this way, we can help people
to realise their aspirations for independence and greater control
over their lives, making services flexible and responsive to
individual needs.



The vision is of people who use services, empowered with advice,
support and information, having choice about the services they want,
being able to take more responsibility for their health and their
lives and a more active role in managing their own care if this is
what they want. The Common Core Principles to Support Self Care
provide a vital building block in realising the vision."



The Common Core Principles to Support Self Care build upon the
Department of Health's White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say in
2006, which outlined how people should be at the centre of the care
planning process, and recognise that they are best placed to
understand their own needs and how to meet them.
















The seven principles are as follows:



-- Ensure individuals are able to make informed choices to manage
their self care needs



-- Communicate effectively to enable individuals to assess their
needs, and develop and gain confidence to self care



-- Support and enable individuals to access appropriate information to
manage their self care needs



-- Support and enable individuals to develop skills in self care



-- Support and enable individuals to use technology to support self
care



-- Advise individuals how to access support networks and participate
in the planning, development and evaluation of services



-- Support and enable risk management and risk taking to maximise
independence and choice



The principles support the radical reform of health and social care
services that is needed to meet the government's aspiration to put
people first and achieve world class service across all public
services.



1) The principles are intended for use by the whole of the health and
social care workforce and set out the skills and knowledge needed by
staff to support people to self care.


2) The principles are consistent with the seven outcomes expected
from adult care services - that people, irrespective of illness or
disability, are supported to:



-- live independently



-- stay healthy and recover quickly from illness



-- exercise maximum control over their own life and where appropriate
the lives of their family members



-- sustain a family unit which avoids children being required to take
on inappropriate caring roles



-- participate as active and equal citizens, both economically and
socially



-- have the best possible quality of life, irrespective of illness or
disability



-- retain maximum dignity and respect



3) The principles were drawn up following an extensive consultation
run by Skills for Health and Skills for Care.


Department of Health