« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
4. SETTING UP YOUR SELF-DIRECTED SUPPORT PACKAGE
Questions and answers in this chapter outline how you can go about getting self-directed support for some or all of your care package and how you go about making sure that your needs are met.
Who can help me plan, set up and manage my own support?
You can get as much help as you need setting up and running your care package. A carer, friend or relative may be able to support you with some things, and there are council funded local support services in most parts of Scotland to help you plan, set up and manage practical arrangements and work through the paperwork. Independent Living Officers can help, for example, with buying an individualised service from a service provider. Or if you are unsure of the idea of recruiting and employing your own staff, they can help with this and offer training in good employment practice. Some offer a payroll service to help with paying staff. Others may offer a book-keeping service to help you do the paperwork that shows how you are spending the money. If you need learning disability support a Local Area Coordinator ( LAC) may be able to help with care planning. Support services are listed in Annex A.
Helpful hints: |
|---|
You may need some of the following extra support and local support services can advise you how to get it: - advocacy, which is where someone supports you in discussions to make sure you get what you need;
- communication support, if you need help with for example, spoken or written communication, including where English is not your first language;
- time-limited support through periods of fluctuating or deteriorating condition. For example if you use mental health services you may wish to set up a support structure to help you manage at times when you are not feeling well;
- care planning support from Local Area Coordinators ( LACs) who are able to support people with learning disabilities (see Annex A);
- third party person (unpaid agent), which is where you nominate a person that you trust to receive the money on your behalf. They can deal with many practical arrangements so long as you retain overall control;
- circle of support, where a group of your family, friends and carers helps you manage your arrangements;
- user-controlled trust, where a group of people form a trust to legally act for you. The money goes into a trust bank account;
- advocate or guardian, where a person acts for you legally in some matters where you lack capacity in order to safeguard your interests. This is under the terms of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) 200 Act.
|
What do I have to do to get direct payments?
Your social worker or care manager should discuss this option with you when they assess your care needs. If they do not, or if you already get services, ask your local council about self-directed support (direct payments). It will probably be best to start by asking the person you usually speak to.
Ask to be put in touch with your local support service so that you can discuss self-directed support with them and even meet someone who directs their own support and can tell you about it first hand.
What if the local authority has not previously assessed my needs?
To get self-directed support you need an assessment in the same way as you would for any social care service. Contact your local council to ask them to assess your needs. You will find details of how to contact them in the local phone directory or Yellow Pages under Social Services.
It is a good idea to think about your needs before the assessment, and some local support services and LACs are able to help you work through your priorities and plan what you need. You might find it helpful to get advice from a friend or relative. Some people find it helpful to keep a diary for a week before the assessment. Take care not to overlook things that do not happen every week.
You may be asked to complete a form before the assessment to say what you think you need help with. This is sometimes called a self-assessment and it can be used to give you an idea of the level of support you are entitled to.
Helpful hints: |
|---|
You might find the following things useful to consider in a self-assessment or in preparing for your assessment. They will become the basis of your personal care plan: - what is important to you, interests, friends, family, taking control, living independently, flexibility, spontaneity, taking some risks etc.,
- how you look after yourself e.g. washing, dressing, using the toilet, shopping, cooking, eating, cleaning, staying healthy and safe, how you communicate with people, what happens at night,
- the activities you do and how long each takes e.g. work, school/college, training, shopping, library, visiting neighbours and friends, swimming, cinema, community centre, place of worship, hobbies,
- what help you get,
- what you want to change,
- how you will be supported to do this e.g. by family, friends, PAs, providers,
- how you will organise things and be in control of arrangements
- what support you may need to do this.
|
Your local authority should make available information about any eligibility criteria used in the assessment process that may affect whether support can be offered to you. This helps avoid raising expectations about services, which are always subject to assessment.
The local authority may not be able to offer you assistance with everything but your own assessment will help to make sure that nothing is missed and that your needs are described in a way you are comfortable with.
What if I am already getting services arranged by my local authority?
Ask your local authority about self-directed support. They are obliged to offer you this in place of arranged services you currently receive.
What if my local authority has assessed my needs before but has not arranged services for me?
If your local authority decided that you did not need services, then it will not offer you self-directed support. If you think your needs or circumstances have now changed, ask your local authority for a new assessment.
If your local authority offered you services but you turned down what they offered, self-directed support may be an alternative. Ask them about this.
If I am entitled to social services, am I automatically entitled to self-directed support?
Yes, most people who get social services have a right to self-directed support. There are some limited circumstances where self-directed support is not given and your council will be able to tell you about these.
You will have a discussion about whether you can manage self-directed support and what kinds of support you need to be able to do this. You must have arrangements in place to manage the necessary paperwork, either alone or with help. Help should be available from your local support service. You will also need to satisfy the council that the services which you intend to buy will meet your assessed needs. For disabled children, the council must be satisfied that the services bought will safeguard and promote the welfare of the child.
In addition, if you plan to employ staff, you will need to show that you will meet your legal requirements as an employer.
If my local authority offers me self-directed support, can I refuse?
Yes. You do not have to direct your own support if you prefer not to. You can have services arranged by your council. Or you can have a mixed package where you direct only some of your support. People sometimes try out self-directed support this way to see if it suits them.
What responsibilities will I have?
Self-directed support offers you much more flexibility, but managing it is also a responsibility. You are in charge of arranging the services you need, sorting out any problems with the service and accounting for the way you use the money. If you use the money to employ your own staff, you will have the legal responsibilities of an employer. These are described in Annex D.
However, you can get the help and support you need to do this and working out who can help you is an important part of developing your personal care plan. This approach emphasises the right of people to whatever assistance they need in order to be confident about making decisions and managing self-directed support. Your local support service is usually the first point of contact for this. See Annex A for contact details.
What can I do if I think the payments are not enough?
If you think the money you are offered is not enough, you do not have to accept it. You can dispute the amount offered. You will need to discuss with your local authority what will happen while your complaint is being worked on. You can accept the individual budget if you want, while your complaint is being dealt with. If you do not want to do this while your complaint is being considered, you can choose to get arranged services instead.
Can I change how I spend my individual budget?
You will need to discuss with your local authority what kinds of changes need to be agreed in advance, and the kind of changes you can make on your own without asking.
Will I have to pay a part of the money for my self-directed support services?
To receive any service from your council you will be assessed financially (means tested) to see whether you should contribute some money to help pay for it. Your local authority will charge you in the same way that it charges people it provides arranged services to.
If the council decides you have to pay something towards the cost of your self-directed support, they should pay the total amount you need gross and recover your contribution later.
Where can I go to buy the services I need?
You can make arrangements yourself and employ your own staff and they will report directly to you. Or you can buy services from an agency, a private service provider or voluntary organisation. They will be responsible to you, not to the local authority. Some people have a contract with a service provider to provide any emergency cover they may need should any problems arise.
Can I buy services from my local authority?
Yes, you can buy services from any local authority provided it agrees to sell its services to you.
Can I buy residential care with my self-directed support?
No, self-directed support is intended to support you in your community, so you cannot use it to pay for permanent residential accommodation.
Can I buy occasional short breaks (respite)?
Yes, respite is a short break which is to act as a positive experience for the person with support needs and the carer, where there is one. The term includes a wide range of different services of limited duration. The common factor is not what service is provided, but its purpose. Respite can be offered in a wide variety of settings, including breaks in residential homes, respite-only units (e.g. specialist guest houses), breaks in the home of another individual or family who have been specially recruited, breaks at home through a support worker or sitting service, or holiday type breaks.
Can I use self-directed support for 'Free Personal Care'?
Yes, if you are aged 65 or over and wish to use self-directed support to buy personal care services at home you will not be asked to pay part of the cost of these services.
« Previous | Contents | Next »