Self-directed support
Self-directed support, individual budgets, personalisation, personal budgets, direct payments, in control … what's it all about?
There are so many phrases used about self-directed support that many people get confused about the different terms and ideas and how they all fit together.
In this article, we will explain some of the jargon, answer some frequently asked questions, and tell you about how United Response is responding to this agenda. We will also tell you where to go for further information.
What do all these different bits of jargon mean?
Direct payments is a way of receiving the cash your relative needs to purchase their own support. Even though they give people choice and control, there are restrictions around what the money can be spent on and who can use them.
Self-directed support is the way of structuring social care so that people are supported to make their own decisions and to take control of their support and their lives. This approach is being developed by Simon Duffy and In Control, a policy development "think tank".
Individual budgets are the financial element of self-directed support and include a range of funding sources including the Supporting People grant, Community Care funding, Access2Work, Independent Living Fund, Disabled Facilities Grant and Community Equipment money (CES).
Personalisation is the Department of Health's initiative to attempt to personalise social care and is based on the concept of self-directed support. However, although it operates in the same way as individual budgets, this initiative only covers the social care (or social services) element of funding attached to the individual. These are called personal budgets.
Is self-directed support only for people with mild disabilities?
There is nothing in the personalisation agenda to suggest that people with profound learning disabilities, complex needs or communication support needs cannot be supported to take control of their support and their lives. At United Response, we are committed to ensuring that all means all and that everybody is able to grasp the same opportunities, regardless of need.
Is it about cutting costs?
There is not a simple way of answering this. On one hand, it is not. It is about more efficient use of existing resources and this approach is backed up by the behaviour of some of the local authorities we work with and by the recent Ibsen evaluation of some of the early pilots. However, central government is unlikely to be upset if it delivers cost savings and some local authorities have made this a key part of their strategy. It is up to all of us – providers, service users, families, carers and others – to argue for adequate resources for the support people need.
Will it make isolation worse?
It will depend how it is implemented. Self-directed support doesn't have to mean people living on their own and many people, whether they have disabilities or not, like living with other people. At United Response, rather than focus purely on independence, we are beginning to focus on interdependence and on the fact that all of us need other people in our lives. In other words, if we support people properly, we should be doing everything we can to ensure people aren't isolated.
How can I get more information about personal budgets?
Speak to your social service department in the first instance.
How is United Response responding to self-directed support?
United Response sees self-directed support as a logical step in our journey and as a way of delivering our organisational mission of enabling people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and physical disabilities to take control of their lives.