Mental health & personalisation

Personalisation has emerged as a key strand to health and social care policy but is known by different names in the devolved administrations

The concept of personalisation, through which people can control their own funding, dates back to campaigns by disability groups in the 1970s where people demanded more choice and control over their care.
 
In some areas, mental health service users and carers are receiving more personalised care through methods such as self directed support, direct payments and individual budgets.
 
Pilots for mental health personal health budgets are already being carried out in England.
 
Occupational therapists can be key in helping deliver this agenda as mental health service users who have used these methods so far are keen to purchase services to facilitate their everyday activities and occupations, for example employing support staff to assist with shopping trips, sessions with employment advisors or buying leisure equipment like bicycles.
 
The following mental health resources are available:
 
Download Mind - Personalisation in Mental Health. Breaking Down the Barriers - A Guide for Care Coordinators (2009)
 
Download Mind - Personalisation in Mental Health. A Review of the Evidence (2009)
 
Download Mind - Personalisation in Mental Health; Creating a Vision. Views of People who use Mental Health Services (2009)
 
Rethink Policy statement 66 - Personalisation and severe mental illness (2008)
 
SCIE at a glance 18 Personalisation briefing - Implications for community mental health services (2009)
 
National Mental Health Development Unit - Paths to personalisation in mental health (2010)