POET - the Personal Budgets Outcomes and Evaluation Tool has
been developed over a number of years by In Control and the Centre
for Disability Research at Lancaster University. Its aim is
to provide a national benchmark on the impact that personal budgets
are having on people's lives.
Using POET we have just completed the first ever National Personal
Budget Survey, which was commissioned by the Think
Local, Act Personal Partnership. Through this we gathered
the views and experiences of more than 2,000 personal budget
recipients and carers making this the largest survey yet and the
first real indication of the progress that local authorities are
making.
This piece of work was carried out initially with ten local
authority demonstrator sites. Following the pilot, other
local authorities are now able to make use of this innovative
tool.
POET provides:
- one authoritative nationally recognised method to
understanding local authority performance;
- an outcome-focused approach - performance is
measured by reported experience of personal budget recipients and
their families;
- an effective solution as it measures both
experiences of the process and impact on day-to-day life;
- efficiency - low transaction costs as data capture
is embedded into local authority process and open to local
community organisations;
- an opportunity to help influence local authority
activity and planning based on real life experiences.
Local authorities using POET will be able
to:
- engage directly with personal budget holders and
carers to understand what's working well and what needs to be
improved;
- measure the impact personal budgets are having
locally as well as local authority performance against the national
benchmark;
- demonstrate transparency and accountability to
local communities;
- receive a detailed localised report on the
findings;
- access national best practice and expertise to
help implement improvements.
If you would like to find out more about POET, how you can
use this tool locally, or just keep updated on its development,
please contact poet@in-control.org.uk or
contact John Waters on 07403 413 476.
Last Updated : 30 August 2011. Page Author: Laura Bimpson.
