The belief that a life of isolation and dependency in institutional care was both inevitable and normal has been consigned to history. We now have widespread acceptance that choice and control are not just possible, but essential and vital components of mainstream policy and practice on personalised care and support.

Yet, at the very time we are celebrating the achievements of the past 30 years such as direct payments and personal budgets for all independent living and choice and control are under renewed threat as a result of severe pressures on public finances.

The reality is that support from public sources will remain low for the foreseeable future. The challenge now is to find new and creative ways to deliver care and support and to build stronger collective resources and partnerships without losing site of the essential principles of choice and control.

There also remains the long-standing challenge of how to ensure that the benefits of choice and control are universally available. The model of independent living as originally developed by disabled peoples organisations was a product of its specific historical time and, from the start, there were concerns that it was not a precise fit for all disabled people (especially mental health service users and older disabled people). There has been a progressive adaptation over the years and, more recently, personalisation has in theory at least extended choice and control to all user groups.

As always, however, implementation has been variable and there is still much work to be done.

Ian Loynes is chief executive of the Spectrum Centre for Independent Living

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2014/oct/29/choice-and-control-are-still-key-for-people-with-disabilities