Challenges in implementing direct payments for older adults in Northern Ireland: an evaluation of a pilot community and statutory collaboration

Despite wide acknowledgement that adult social care in Northern Ireland is not working, little progress has been made in tackling problems. Alternative options, such as direct payments exist but the infrastructure is inadequate. In an attempt to address this gap, a statutory health and social care trust and a community organisation collaborated on a pioneering project. The current study evaluated the efforts of this project to make direct payments work for older people. As well as offering analysis into project development, the study offers insights into service user and stakeholder views. Findings suggest service user satisfaction with support. Direct payments can be a personalised option, but the process is complex and requires support. Overall, this project was a good example of collaborative practice, but it highlighted how a culture of bureaucracy and a preoccupation with risk can flourish in under-resourced statutory social work teams, shaped by decades of system failures.