Good decision-making - Practical guidance for practice dilemmas

The decisions that people who work in adult social care make every day directly affect people’s lives. However, decision-making is complex, nuanced, and often presents dilemmas. 

How can we support practitioners to build skills and confidence in this area of work? The recently updated good decision-making in adult social care resource aims to help practitioners make the best decisions in imperfect contexts. The resources are designed to support anyone wanting to improve decision-making to ensure that the individuals whose lives are affected are fully involved in the decision-making process.

An accompanying podcast introduces the materials, providing guidance on navigating the different sections and advice on implementing it effectively.  

Co-production and decision-making 

Co-developed with people who have lived experience of social care, the resources are an update of the 2013 Good Decision Making: Practitioner Handbook. This edition also highlighted the principle of ‘nothing about me, without me’ and provided practical support. However, looking back now, the voices of people who rely on care and support were less central than they are today, and the context did not seem as pressurised. 

Experts by experience involved in developing the updated resource conveyed two key messages for practitioners: 

1. Decision-making must be a co-production exercise. Get as close to co-production as possible so that the best possible outcome for each particular person is achieved. 
2. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Recognise the positive impact your decisions can have. Use your power transparently and explain yourself. 

Practitioners are often working with people, who are experiencing rapid, sudden or significant changes in their lives. When making any decision it’s important to work alongside the person to inform their care and support.

Creating positive change 

Each day, practitioners face the complexity and messiness of decision-making. They make judgments based on an incomplete picture and with limited time. The resource aims to help them make the most of each opportunity to create positive change with someone. To do this, it grounds decision-making in the aims of promoting wellbeing and increasing equity and rights. They cover the foundational elements that make a decision justifiable and highlights practice approaches that support good judgment, such as legal literacy and the use of evidence. It also explores how to build capabilities and gain support in decision-making amid change, such as the introduction of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).

Above all, the resources are practical. Key topics are covered concisely, with exercises and examples to think through these topics in practice, with an aim to strengthen practical skills and confidence.

Good decision-making in practice 

An upcoming series of workshops will draw on the new resources to build confidence in engaging with dilemmas around resources, risk and rights. Participants will examine the foundations and principles that underpin good judgement and look specifically at how to work through some fundamental dilemmas in adult social care. These include: 

• Balancing wellbeing and the use of finance resources.
• Responding to someone who wishes to take significant risks in their life.
• Introducing AI into relational work.

The workshop will present practical examples of how to use the resource. For more information on how the good decision-making resource can assist you in practice, explore the new resources.