Follow VODG Blog EditorIt’s a Square World
What’s to do; it is a square world!
The four corners of which are the increasing demand from changing demographics and people’s expectations, diagonally opposed to an eye watering national debt and the need to cut public spending. While in the opposite corners we have a strategic intent to transform services to be more personalised and provide more choice and control, whilst being set against responding to short term threats of social care funding brokers, the new ambulance chasers of the social care sector.
The real fear is that the collective response to the above tensions will be non-strategic, risk averse and individualistic, resulting in slash and burn with little or no regard for the future. History tells us Pyrrhic victories are not worth winning. As leaders do we not have the responsibility to know how to skilfully prune to sustain future prosperity and to know the difference between cost and value?
All organisations in all sectors, at a time of recession and uncertainty, should get closer to their customers and in social care this includes individuals, families and corporate bodies. Likewise buyers need to get close to their supply. There is a huge risk that the two corners of meeting increasing expectations and investing for transformation will be subsumed by the rationing of resources and slash and burn tactics. If this is to be avoided leaders, across the sector, need to work together to establish trust and mutual understanding to find win/win solutions; on behalf of individuals, families, organisational sustainability and of course the tax payer.
Maybe between us we can square this particular circle!
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