Simon Duffy
Position: Associate
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Simon Duffy MA (Hons) DMS PhD FRSA
Simon is a social innovator and writer who works to improve the welfare system so that it promotes citizenship for all. Simon is best known for defining key concepts such as Individual Budgets, Self-Directed Support, the Citizenship Model and many others. He is the author of Keys to Citizenship and many articles and papers.
Simon has found a number of ways of putting his ideas into practice. He led the social innovation network In Control from 2003 to 2009, whose mission was to transform the adult social care system in England. He also co-founded In Control International. From 2000 to 2003 Simon worked as Director of Consultancy for Paradigm leading on Person-Centred Planning and Self-Directed Support. In 1999 Simon co-founded Altrum, a federation of organisations committed to inclusion in Scotland. In 1996 he founded the service provider Inclusion Glasgow to provide radically individualised support to people leaving institutional care. From 1990 to 1994 Simon led early experiments in individual funding and brokerage within Southwark Consortium (now Choice Support).
Simon began his career as an NHS Management Trainee at the King’s Fund College, London. He was a Harkness Fellow in 1994 where he researched inclusive education and welfare reform in J. F. Kennedy Centre in Denver, Colorado. In 2001 Simon obtained his doctorate in moral philosophy from the University of Edinburgh with a thesis arguing for the objectivity of morality. In 2007 Simon was awarded the RSA’s Prince Albert Medal for his contribution to Social Innovation. He is currently an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham’s Health Services Management Centre.
Simon is currently writing a new book on welfare reform and exploring how best to use his skills and experience to take forward the Welfare Reform agenda.
Simon lives in Sheffield with his wife Nicola and their son Jacob. Simon loves skiing, windsurfing, cycling gardening, and trying to learn Latin.