The Maximising Independence (MI) Programme was set up over four years ago to support people who can and wish to remain living at home safely for as long as possible with the right support in place for them, and for their carers if they have them.

MI doesn’t mean living without any support at all – it’s about living as independent a life as you can, making choices about the things that matter to you, to live as full a life as possible, with support when you need it.

When the MI Programme reaches its final phase - its planned programme close and transition next month – its approach will move fully into the day-to-day ‘business as usual’ work done across the HSCP and MI partners. However, it’s clear that the benefits of the MI approach started to be seen in the way we work and support people right from the start.

“It became clear fairly early on that Maximising Independence had to be a wholescale change in our approach to how we do things rather than a standalone programme of work” says Alison Noonan, our HSCP’s Head of Maximising Independence and Transformation for the past three years.

“The scale of the transformation was so large and far reaching that it had to be embedded in every interaction we have with the people we support – from when they first approach us or are referred to us, right through to how we can support them to live at home in less intrusive and resource-intensive ways.  

“And of course, we wanted to get our MI messages out to people long before they even need to contact us, so we can support them to build their health and wellbeing independently within their local community.

“We want Glasgow citizens to have strong and reliable health and social care not just now, but for future generations too. So, we’ve been talking, listening and collaborating to build a sustainable way of supporting people, so that everyone can achieve their full potential for health, wellbeing and independence. The Maximising Independence approach informs the way we design and deliver our services. It’s now at the core of everything we do.”

Several MI projects and activities are underway. Some are being delivered directly by the MI Team, and others are being delivered elsewhere across the health and social care network in Glasgow, with advice and support on building in the MI approach. You can find out more about the range of MI projects and read more about some current projects.

One of the most significant things about the MI projects at this transition stage, is that they are coming together and complementing each other, under the overall MI approach within our ‘business as usual’ activities.

For example, we can see how the way we approach the people we support is changing – looking at their strengths as well as the areas they’re less strong in, considering how previous trauma may be a barrier to how people access health and social care. We’re now routinely looking for innovative technical solutions to support people live more independently at home and meeting people at drop-ins across the city to show them how technology can help, and listening to their issues and aspirations.

We’re building on local community organisations’ areas of expertise and supporting them to share and grow what they do through our ‘Make It Local’ community hubs, to support more people to live independently, make connections and reduce social isolation and loneliness. And our Circles of Support help families, friends and carers to support people to live independently within their local community.

Our HSCP’s Assistant Chief Officer for Older People’s Services and South Operations Stephen Fitzpatrick sees the MI approach as being vital to tackling the big health and social care issues facing the city’s population, “Glasgow’s demographic is changing, we have more people needing care and reducing resources, so we need to look at a long-term sustainable solution for this generation and future ones.

“We know most people want to live independently for as long as possible, and we know that it’s better for their health to do so. So, our MI approach is all about making that possible for as many people as possible, and it’s about identifying and tackling health issues early and preventing problems, instead of treating them further down the line when they become more serious. It’s also a better way of directing our valuable resources to where they’re most needed.

“The legacy of the MI approach will carry on being central to our HSCP’s current and upcoming strategic plans.”

For more information
See our Maximising Independence video and newsletters.