Pictured above: Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective—a man who has never let a box (or a socially acceptable approach to problem-solving) contain him.
And honestly? It’s a pretty accurate metaphor for what happens in health and social care every single day.
The Great Box Dilemma
Health and social care systems love boxes. We’ve built entire professions, funding structures, and service models around them. You need physiotherapy? Great! Here’s a box for that. You need mental health support? Different box. You have a disability that requires ongoing support? Oh, that’s another box entirely.
In theory, it makes sense. Each profession has carved out its own space, complete with specialist assessments, therapeutic interventions, and even its own unique language (because why make it easy?). But in reality? It means that people who don’t fit neatly into a single box end up bouncing between them—sometimes endlessly.
The Problem With Boxes (And Why We Keep Jumping In and Out of Them)
At its core, the issue is this: When someone’s health and social care needs don’t fit neatly into a single box, they have to navigate multiple clinical and support transactions just to achieve a single goal.
We’ve all been there. Whether it’s coordinating care for a loved one, advocating for our own needs, or simply trying to make sense of a system that feels more like a maze than a pathway—it’s exhausting. And for those with complex health and social care needs? It’s a full-time job.
Funding Loves Boxes Too
Let’s talk money (because we have to). Funders need a way to allocate resources efficiently. The best way to do that? You guessed it—by divvying up funding according to professional or therapeutic boxes.
Integrated care sounds amazing in theory, but in practice, these funding mechanisms and professional partitions often get in the way of making care truly seamless. Instead of being able to provide holistic, person-centred support, we’re often forced into a step-on, step-off journey—jumping from one box to the next, hoping we don’t fall through the cracks in between.
The Good News: There’s a Way Out of the Box
This week, my colleagues and I received some amazing news—our research, exploring exactly these issues, has been accepted for publication! (Cue the confetti cannon.)
In this paper, we break down concepts like occupational monopolies, therapeutic partitions, and the ways some brilliant publicly funded health services are tackling these challenges through newly formed ‘post-professional’ workforces (seriously, look it up—it’s fascinating!).
Essentially, we’ve identified some of the key mechanisms that need to be in place to better support individuals with complex health and social care needs—people whose needs don’t fit neatly into a single care or funding box.
The Best News? We’re Building a Solution
This research (along with a bunch of other projects I’ve been part of) has directly contributed to the software I’ve built and am currently rolling out with disability organisations.
It’s designed to do exactly what the system struggles with—identify all a person’s needs, track them over time, and make care and support decisions from that starting point, rather than trying to squeeze them into predefined funding categories.
Because people aren’t boxes. Their needs shift, evolve, and (let’s be honest) sometimes make absolutely no sense on paper. But when we step outside rigid structures and start designing care around people, we can finally move towards a system that actually works for those who need it most.
What’s Next?
When our paper is officially published, I’ll be sure to share the details. But in the meantime—if you’re working in health or social care and this all sounds painfully familiar, let’s talk.
Because no one should have to keep jumping in and out of boxes just to get the care they need. And if all else fails—just channel your inner Ace Ventura. Sometimes, you’ve got to rip the box open, climb out, and make your own rules.
Ready to delve further? Just head on over to our connect page to join our newsletter, or send us an email at hello@unplex.com.au and we’ll be in touch!