ABSTRACT
In many respects, pilot projects were attempting to do exactly the things demanded by the new legislation. It is therefore vital that the successes and failures of such experience are not overlooked, but rather incorporated into future expectations. The projects offer a window through which to view some of the future difficulties and opportunities of community care. Service orientations and philosophies were cemented in care practices developed locally or imported from outside. Care management, some interpretation of normalisation, and a commitment to user involvement were among the widely adopted principles which shaped local innovations. Implementing normalisation sometimes proved difficult, particularly when ill-conceived, misunderstood, inflexibly applied, or running contrary to the expressed preferences of clients. The significance of social security payments in the successful operation of the projects needs to be made forcefully, and in this people's findings are consistent with much other evidence and anecdotal experience.
