What is a Personal Budget?

A Personal Budget is a sum of money allocated to an individual to meet their care and support needs. In Herefordshire the funding ‘pots’ involved are:

• Adult Social Care (ASC)
• Primary Care Trust (PCT) Continuing Care Funds (eligibility permitting)
• Independent Living Funds (ILF) (eligibility permitting)

The person may choose to take all of the money as a Direct Payment to purchase services themselves, or have adult social care manage the budget on their behalf.
The advantage is that the person can choose to buy / do things that are not normally provided by adult social care. This may mean they get more involved in their community activities and ‘services’.

What is the process to get a Personal Budget?

The person must:

• meet ASC eligibility criteria
• complete a self assessment
• have an assessment with their Social Worker
• create an Indicative budget (based on Resource Allocation System)
• produce a Support plan (Adult Social Care then have to sign off the Support Plan)
• Implement the Support Plan

What are the benefits of a Personal Budget?

• more flexibility than a Direct Payment (DP)
• lighter touch monitoring
• like for like changes

Here are some examples of how other people have used a Personal Budget:

How does a Personal Budget affect people who choose to employ their own staff?

For the past 12 years SIL has had a contract to provide disabled employers with the support they need to employ legally and safely.
 
SIL saw that disabled employers needed more help and have, therefore, developed a Recruitment Service, a Payroll service and a Financial Administration Service. 

What is a Support Plan?

A Support Plan describes what a person wants to change about their life and how they will use their Personal Budget to make these changes happen.
 
The local authority has to agree your support plan and your plan has to answer these questions:

1. What is important to you?
2. What do you want to change?
3. How will you arrange your support?
4. How will you spend your money?
5. How will you manage your support?
6. How will you stay in control?
7. What will you do next?