What is Self-Directed Support for Cambridgeshire?

 

Cambridgeshire County Council want people who need social care support to have more choice and control over the services they receive and how they are delivered. As a result, the Council is introducing Self-Directed Support.

Self-Directed Support puts you more in control of your social care and involves identifying and allocating a Personal Budget to meet your needs.

 

It is being introduced in Cambridgeshire in phases, and not everyone will move to a system of Self-Directed Support straight away. The schedule for introducing Self-Directed Support is:

• adults with learning disabilities - from April 2009
• adults with a physical disability - from July 2009
• older people and older people with mental health issues - from August 2009
• adults with mental health problems - from January 2010.

Personal Budgets will be available to all adults who are eligible for social care support. There will be few constraints on how you use your Personal Budget, as long as it is legal and keeps you safe and healthy, meets your support needs and enables you to achieve your personal goals.

 

To read more click here to visit the Cambridge.gov website

 

Click For case studies for support in the Cambridgeshire area

 

To find care in other area click here

 

For industry news click the below link:

 

Care industry news and views especially for personalisation and IB's

 

The self directed support 7 steps

---

Step 1 - My money: finding out how much my personal budget is

This is a three-part process:

• you should contact the Council who will arrange for you to be assessed to check your eligibility for services
• if you are eligible, you will be asked to fill out a Support Questionnaire - this asks you about the skills you would like to develop and importantly, what you want to achieve
• the Council will review and validate your Support Questionnaire and allocate an indicative budget - an upfront amount of funding for you to plan your social care.

Step 2 - Producing my support plan

You (with help if required) will produce a Support Plan that lists your individual support needs and goals and shows how you will spend your Personal Budget to meet your needs.

Step 3 - Getting my plan agreed

Once the Council has agreed your Support Plan your Personal Budget will be allocated to you.

Step 4 - Organising my personal budget

Your Personal Budget allows you to choose the best ways to meet your support needs and achieve your goals. You can choose to have it paid to you as a Direct Payment to buy services, or you can choose someone to look after the money for you and spend it on your behalf to buy support that meets the goals in your plan.

Step 5 - Organising my support

You (with help if required) organise the support you need. There are few constraints on how you use your Personal Budget as long as it is legal and keeps you safe and healthy. You don't have to use a particular service if you don't want to or if you have other ideas how to meet your needs.

Step 6 - Living my life

You get on and live your life with the support and services identified in your Support Plan.

Step 7 - Reviewing how it is going

Your first review will take place after 12 weeks. This will check how things are going and if any changes need to be made. If you have a new Personal Budget and decide to take this as a Direct Payment you will have a quarterly review for the first year. After the first year your reviews will take place according to potential levels of need, risk and complexity in your Support Plan.

 

 

 

For more on self directed support click here