Coventry Snip Snap

Coventry City Council is one of six local authorities chosen by the Department for Education (DfE) to pilot individual budgets for families with disabled children. The Pilot Programme funded by (DfE) began in April 2009 and is expected to end in March 2011.

In Coventry we are working with approximately 30 families who would like to directly take control of their support and services. We are working with this small number of people until March 2011 and hope to take valuable learning from this pilot project as we are keen to explore how individual budgets could:

• achieve more personalised outcomes for young disabled people and their families;
• offer more choice and control on how care and support is organised;
• support more independent living;
• help with support planning into adulthood; and
• investigate whether services through individual budgets have a positive impact on the lives of young people and their families.

What is an individual budget?

The term individual budgets refers to the funding from a number of different funding streams, including social care that people can use flexibly to buy the support or other things they need to meet the outcomes they have identified in their support plan. Each person should be given an idea about how much money they have to spend to achieve their outcomes when they begin to develop their support plan. The person should they be told how much money they have to spend on their support and this is their final 'individual budget'.

What difference will it make to me?

An individual budget is designed to provide people who currently receive services and those who become eligible for support with greater choice, control and flexibility over their support arrangements.

What's involved in obtaining an individual budget?

It begins with an outcomes assessment which determines the total amount of funds, or allocated budget, available from the various funding streams. Once the allocated budget is known, a support plan is put together, which sets out the ways in which you would like to use your individual budget. Before money is paid out, the support plan must be approved by the local authority and/or organisations holding the relevant funding streams.

Is this an assessment of needs?

No, one of the things we will do differently is use the outcomes assessment to look at what each person and their family wants to do with their lives, or what their goals are, and what 'outcomes' they want to achieve.

Will an individual budget help achieve all of these 'outcomes'?

No, most of the outcomes someone wants to achieve will only be possible with additional support and commitment from the young person, their family, friends, social network and other services such as education. However the 'outcomes' assessment will help everyone work out who needs to do what in order to achieve each outcome.

Will there still be an eligibility criteria?

Yes, the same eligibility criteria will be used as before to assess what support somebody requires from each funding stream and if they are entitled to it.

Can I have a direct payment?

Yes, people can chose to take some of their individual budget as a direct payment. A Direct payment is money paid directly from some funding organisations to an individual, to arrange and buy their own support. Some people can choose to have their support arranged directly by the funding organisations involved or have a mix package of direct payments and arranged support. Receiving funds as a direct payment enables you to employ your own staff such as personal assistants, purchase support from a chosen care provider or organise your own activities. The benefit of direct payments is being able to have a say in how and when your support is delivered and by whom.

Do I have to have a direct payment?

No, the funding organisations involved can organise your support on your behalf.

Can I have help to manage my direct payment?

For people who require additional support to manage a direct payment, the City Council have a contract with a support organisation called Penderels Trust to help people manage their direct payment.

Will you check on how I am getting on with my individual budget?

Yes, we will check with you to see how you are getting on. We will do this using a review form. You can fill this in by yourself, or with your social care worker, family, friend or supporter. A social care worker will have a meeting with you to talk about your review form for and we will check the following with you:

• Have your needs changed since your last outcomes assessment?
• Is the individual budget helping you get the support you need and make the changes in your support plan?
• Are you happy with the support you are getting?

How will people know if individual budgets have worked?

The pilot programme will be independently evaluated by SQW Consulting on behalf of the Department for Education. All six local authorities therefore report on progress of the pilot by completing quarterly SQW monitoring returns.

What happens when the pilot programme ends in March 2011?

Once we have agreed someone's support plan, they will not lose that support just because the pilot programme has ended. For those who have opted to have a direct payment, this can still continue, as there is a team based centrally in the City Council that manages and administers direct payments. The government is committed to piloting individual budgets with a view to rolling them out nationally if they prove successful!

Is this just another way of saving money?

No, the government is not giving us any more money, but by giving people more choice and control over their care and support, the government thinks that people will have improved quality of support, have their outcomes met, have greater independence and also that better value for money could be achieved, e.g. because there is more use of informal support and universal services.

Can people choose not to have an individual budget?

Yes, if you feel that you are not benefitting from an individual budget then you could revert back to having your support arranged or delivered by the City Council. However we would expect benefits to be gained from having a individual budget because you are in charge!

Downloads

• Individual Budgets in Coventry

Useful links

• Aiming High for Disabled Children
• Individual Budgets