This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Financial aid for mental health patients
28/02/2002
A resarch report into the progress of direct payments to
people with mental health problems was published today.
Commenting on
Direct what? - a study of Direct Payments to Mental
health service users, Deputy Health Minister Hugh
Henry said that much work must be done in promoting 'direct
payments'.
The Executive report found that since the legislation
was introduced in 1996, take up has been extremely limited
among mental health service users, with only two
recipients. In addition, very few users and professionals
are even aware of direct payments and how they work.
Direct payments allow local authorities to give money
directly to individuals so that they can arrange the
community care services in a way that best meet their
individual needs. The payments can be used either to
purchase support through agencies or to employ personal
assistants.
Mr Henry said:
"We know from earlier research that direct payments can
offer disabled people greater choice and control over the
delivery of their community care support needs. That
research found few if any disadvantages to direct payments
and that it can benefit not only recipients but also
families and social work departments.
"But as this research shows, in the mental health field,
there is still a great deal of uncertainty about these
benefits. In particular, awareness is low among most
professionals, and in others there are concerns that people
in a vulnerable situation might be taken advantage of.
"Users themselves are also unsure of what the scheme has
to offer, and share the same concerns.
"We would be the last to advocate any system which could
put individuals in difficult situations. However, when the
safeguards and possibilities of direct payments are
explained there is a much more positive reaction. We firmly
believe that direct payments have potential which can be
unlocked, if they can be made available to more people and
publicised more widely.
"It is testimony to our commitment to promoting direct
payments that last April Malcolm Chisholm announced funding
of £530,000 for
Direct Payments Scotland. This two-year project is
helping to increase awareness and put in place the support
needed at local levels for users and their families,
service providers and local authorities. The findings of
this report will be of great help to the project.
"We also recognise that direct payments need to be a
real option for more people. That is why we are making it a
duty for local authorities to offer direct payments to
eligible people.
"Direct payments will never be to everybody's taste. But
for some people with mental health problems, with the right
training and support, they could open up the way to
replacing a 'one-size fits all' package with a much more
tailored care package, with the individual's needs firmly
at the centre."
Only 16 out of 32 local authorities had fully
operational or pilot direct payments schemes with 213
recipients. Ten of the 16 schemes had plans to include
people with mental health problems. But so far, only two
recipients were people with mental health problems or
dementia.
The research identified a number of ways to support
people with mental health problems or dementia with direct
payments:
- ensuring clarity about who is eligible for direct
payments;
- telling people with mental health problems and
dementia about direct payments so that they can make an
informed decision;
- making plans for when people become too ill to
manage;
- procedures which are accessible and easy to
understand; and
- support for direct payments from independent
organisations that understand mental health problems and/or
dementia. They would provide peer support, advice and help
with ideas about how to use direct payments, provide
training and support in handling the payment.
The definition of disability includes any type of
disability, whether physical or learning disability; and
people who are disabled by illness, for example, mental
illness or HIV/AIDS.
Further provisions introduced in the Community Care and
Health Bill will make it a duty for local authorities to
offer direct payments instead of arranging services and
will make it possible for attorneys and guardians to set
up, alter and receive direct payments on someone's behalf.
Parents will also be able to receive direct payments to
purchase the services their children require. Local
authorities will be able to sell their services to users
and the scope of direct payments will be further widened to
include all community care clients.
"Direct Payments Scotland" has been established, with
funding from the Scottish Executive, to increase the uptake
of direct payments throughout Scotland. Further information
on 'Direct Payments Scotland' is available from the
helpline on 0131 558 3450 or by emailing
info@dpscotland.org.uk