Dr. Simon Duffy gave a talk about exploring consumer directed care and lessons from the UK experience with self-directed support. He has 25 years of experience developing systems of self-directed support and challenging injustice. Some key points from his talk include that the benefits of self-directed support come from empowering citizens and communities, not from markets or complex plans. Governments and bureaucracies do not innovate, citizens and community leaders innovate. Real expertise comes from those with lived experience, not outside consultants. Self-directed support requires empowering individuals, not relying on middle management. Its goal should be to make citizenship real by promoting freedom, community, and dignity.

1. Exploring Consumer Directed Care
Talk by Dr Simon Duffy for the Multicultural Communities
Council of South Australia, 1 December 2014 in Adelaide

2. Dr Simon Duffy
I’ve worked at developing systems of self-directed support for 25
years, working as a service provider and working with (and against)
government. My training is in philosophy and my practice has
involved an on-going effort to think about why we do what we do.
After working on individualised funding in early 1990s I developed
Inclusion Glasgow - an innovative service provider in 1996. IN 2003
I led In Control and developed the model of self-directed support
which was (to some extent) adopted by the English government.
In 2009 I set up The Centre for Welfare Reform as hub for social
international social innovation and a platform for challenging injustice.
I am currently involved in various campaigning efforts in the UK to
combat the way ’austerity’ is targeting people with disabilities and
people in poverty.

3. • UK experience of self-directed support
• Lessons that should be relevant to CDC
• Citizenship and rights not services
• Exploring our roles in a changing world

5. “We are obliged to
surrender to the will of
the strong. Big
companies, cities and
municipalities decide
what is best for us. This
is about power. Why do
I feel a lack of power
in my own life?”
Sami Helle at European
Parliament, November 2013

9. English data 2003-2005, first In Control pilot

10. English data 2005-2007

13. 1. Not markets - community
• There is no evidence that the benefits of self-directed
support are about markets - except for the
fact that the basic right to take your budget
elsewhere might help ‘wake people up’
• It’s not markets - it’s citizens, community and
creativity that make the difference in people’s lives

16. 2. Not plans - control
• People do not change their lives by planning to change
their lives. But planning (and training to plan, or training
to train to plan) becomes one of the biggest ways the
system wastes people’s time and money.
• People learn to change their lives by having control
and using that control to make positive changes, plus
• By learning from other people who’ve made positive
changes or people who can share real expertise
• Change is simple and social - keep it that way

17. The government
money fallacy
it can’t always be
government money:
where did government get it from?

19. 3. Not them - us
• There is no evidence that the benefits of self-directed
support relies on complex systems of
independent advocacy or service brokerage.
• Sometimes a fresh face and pair of hands can
help, but mostly its about giving the people who
are already there the chance to do something
better.

21. 4. Not government - people
• Government and bureaucracies don’t innovate -
citizens and leaders innovate.
• Creating systems that both enable innovation at the
individual level and encourage innovation in
processes and communities will be critical.

23. 5. Not consultants - peers
• Government funded enthusiasm tends to
manufacture phoney expertise - we seek comfort
in going to consultants - the fatter the better - to
hold our hands.
• But real expertise comes from people with lived
experience of the innovation.
• Champions of innovation need to create their own
peer support.

25. Self-directed support demands a new way
of managing - NOT the middle

27. Remember the true purpose

29. We make citizenship real by
1. Finding our sense of purpose
2. Having the freedom to pursue it
3. Having enough money to be free
4. Having a home where we belong
5. Getting help from other people
6. Making life in community
7. Finding love

30. This protects our dignity
1. Our life is seen to have meaning
2. We are not on someone else’s control
3. We can pay our way - we’re not unduly dependent
4. We have a stake in the community
5. We give others the chance to give
6. We contribute to the community
7. We are building the relationships that sustain community

31. “My life, my rights”
1. Independent living
2. Entitlement
3. Self-determination
4. Clarity
5. Flexibility
6. Learning
7. Contribution

32. What will could this all mean
for you or your organisation?