Managing your own personal budget

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1 Managing your own personal budget Information and support options Making Surrey a better place

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3 Managing your own personal budget Managing your own personal budget Surrey County Council is committed to supporting its residents to stay healthy and actively involved in community life for as long as possible. We want everyone living in Surrey to have flexibility in meeting their eligible social care needs and focus on what helps them to achieve their goals or outcomes in life. Personal Budgets allow individuals to 'self direct' their support and are designed to give you more choice and control. It's a way of personalising your social care needs so you can: control the money you get for support choose how to spend the money for your support choose things about your life, for example, who you want to get support from. 1

4 Personal Budgets Personal Budgets mean that, following a social care assessment of your eligible needs set out in your Support Plan, you will be advised of the amount of money that could be available to you to spend on your care needs and to improve your quality of life. You could pay for your care in a number of ways, provided it keeps you safe, is lawful, effective and affordable, by using: Direct Payments Indirect Payments Supported Managed Account Individual Service Funds Surrey County Council arranged funds. Each payment type above is explained in more detail further in this leaflet. Supported Self Assessment The Supported Self Assessment is a full assessment where you will be able to give a detailed description of your particular circumstances and needs. You can complete this on your own or with the help of someone who knows you well, like a friend or family member. Everyone is entitled to an assessment of their social care needs and a Supported Self Assessment is a way for people to think about what is important to them. 2

5 What is a Support Plan? A Support Plan is a document that outlines what is important to you and identifies any changes you might want to make in your life. A Support Plan will also tell us how you want to achieve these and how you will use your Personal Budget to do this. Your Support Plan belongs to you and can: help us to understand how we can support you in the way that you want give you choice and flexibility over how you want your support to be arranged help you think about what you want and need both now and in the future, and outline the people you want involved to help you make decisions. The first step is to have an assessment from a social care worker in Adult Social Care so that your needs can be identified. The assessment will establish whether or not you are eligible to receive social care services. If you are eligible, and your needs outlined in your Support Plan can be met, you will be offered options on how to manage your own personal budget. You may wish to take full control of your support or may need help to do so. It is best to discuss your Support Plan with someone you feel comfortable with. This could be a friend or family member or a social care worker from Adult Social Care. 3

6 Direct Payments? Direct Payments are cash payments made to individuals who have been assessed and are eligible to receive support from Adult Social Care. This is the most popular option for paying for your support. You can then use this money to purchase support and equipment that you consider most appropriate to meet your assessed social care needs. A Direct Payment can be used for all or part of your assessed social care needs in your Support Plan. Who can receive Direct Payments? Direct Payments are available to most people who are assessed as needing social care and support. This includes: older people needing community care services disabled people (aged 16 years and over) people with mental health needs people with parental responsibility for a disabled child (up until age 18) carers who are caring for a disabled or frail adult. If an individual does not have the capacity to consent to a direct payment, a third party can be nominated to receive a direct payment on their behalf. 4

7 What do I need to do to receive Direct Payments? Once your Direct Payment has been agreed, you will need a separate bank account for your Direct Payments. You will not be able to use this account for other things, except to receive Independent Living Fund payments if you get them. The name on the bank account should be the same as the person receiving the Direct Payment, although a joint account can be opened with someone who you have agreed will help you manage your Direct Payment. What can Direct Payments be used for? The money is for you to arrange support to meet your eligible social care needs. You may choose to employ people directly, to buy services from an independent or voluntary sector provider or to purchase equipment to help you live more independently in your own home. Direct Payments enable you to choose and plan your support in more flexible ways that fit in with your life. Most Direct Payments are made to meet regular ongoing needs, however they can also be made as a single payment, for example, to purchase equipment or for a short respite break. Surrey County Council can also arrange services to meet some of your needs directly, if you prefer. They can also offer you a combination of a Direct Payment and services that they provide or buy services from another organisation on your behalf. 5

8 What can t Direct Payments be used for? You can t use Direct Payments to: pay for health care, housing costs, or household bills purchase permanent residential care or nursing home costs (expect for short periods of respite, for example to give a carer a break) pay for services from Surrey County Council or any other local authority support needs that have not been assessed by Surrey County Council and are not in your agreed Support Plan. Keeping records You will be responsible for managing and accounting for how the money is spent. The money you receive as a Direct Payment is entrusted to you to pay for support or services to meet your assessed social care needs. You will be asked to sign an agreement that outlines any conditions that you need to follow, for example keeping records of how the money is spent. The council will tell you what records you need to keep and what information you ll be expected to provide, for example timesheets signed by personal assistants, or receipts for services from agencies. You should ensure you keep copies of everything that is spent with your Direct Payment. Every three months, you will need to give Surrey County Council a reconciliation of your finances. If you like, Surrey Independent Living Council* can help you with this. 6

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10 Other options for financial arrangements Direct Payments for carers If someone provides you with regular unpaid care, Adult Social Care can offer a carer s assessment, which is a right for all carers. This is a chance for them to talk about the care they provide and find out about any support they may be entitled to. Carers may be able to receive direct payments too; to support them in their caring role. Carers look after family, partners, or friends in need of help because they are ill, frail or have a disability. The care they provide is unpaid - Carer s (UK) definition. Carers do not have to be living with the person or supporting them on a daily basis, but you may feel that the support they give does affect you. Indirect Payments Indirect Payments are made available if you are not able to consent to a direct payment, but where a direct payment is considered to be in your best interest. It can be paid to a person that is suitable. There are certain rules and guidance to help the county council decide who is a suitable person. Supported Managed Account A Supported Managed Account is a direct payment to you that is held on your behalf by Surrey Independent Living Council (SILC), who will then manage your payments under your instruction and make payments on your behalf. 8

11 Individual Service Funds An Individual Service Fund is when money allocated to you in your Personal Budget is paid directly to your care provider. The care provider then works with you, to determine how best to spend this money to meet the outcome identified in your personal support plan to meet your social care needs. Surrey County Council arranged funds This is where Adult Social Care arranges and pays for your support. This may be arranged through an independent or voluntary organisation or from Surrey County Council s directly owned services. These can be combined with a Direct Payment, if you prefer to arrange some of the support yourself. 9

12 Further support available and useful resources Further support available and useful resources There is a lot of support available to advise and assist you in deciding the best way to manage your personal budget. *Surrey Independent Living Council (SILC) Surrey County Council works in partnership with Surrey Independent Living Council (SILC), who are experts in Direct Payments and living independently and are committed to helping you have more control of your life. They are a non-profit making voluntary sector organisation run by and for disabled people. The Independent Living Advisors at SILC help individuals manage their money and arrange support and services if they want this help. For further information on any aspect of Direct Payments, contact SILC at: Surrey Independent Living Council Astolat Coniers Way Burpham Guildford, Surrey GU4 7HL Tel: Fax: Minicom: admin@surreyilc.org.uk Website: 10

13 Information for carers There are support networks available for carers across the county. Action for Carers (Surrey) Tel: Website: Carersnet Website: Carers UK Tel: Carers UK Advice Line: Web: 11

14 Advocacy support Advocacy is taking action to help you say what you want, secure your rights, represent your interests and obtain the services you need. Advocates and advocacy schemes work in partnership with you and take your side. Advocacy promotes contribution to, and participation in, community life, equality, and ensuring that control and decision-making is genuinely in your best interest. If you need help of this kind, Surrey Disabled People's Partnership (SDPP) is the first point of contact. They offer: one-to-one professional advocacy - this is when a paid advocate supports someone with a specific issue/issues citizens advocacy this type of advocacy is provided by trained volunteers. This type of support can be longer term self-advocacy groups these are groups run by people who have joined together to have their voices heard and support each other. For more information contact Surrey Disabled People s Partnership 51 Commercial Way Woking Surrey GU21 6HN Tel: (local rate call) advocacy@sdpp.org.uk Website: 12

15 Support Brokers A Support Broker will be able to offer you information and advice about planning your support which would include receiving and managing your Personal Budget. This support is provided at no cost to you and you have a choice of working with either an Adult Social Care support broker in each locality or using an independent external organisation. The following agencies have a contract with Surrey County Council to help you plan and arrange your support: deafplus Tel: info@deafplus.org Web: Just Advocacy Tel: staff@justadvocacy.org.uk Web: Oakleaf Enterprises Tel: Web: Surrey Association for Visual Impairment (SAVI) Tel: info@sa-vi.org.uk Web: 13

16 Voiceability - Surrey Tel: info@voiceability.org Web: For further information about Brokerage, read the Helping you plan your support leaflet on the Surrey Disabled People s Partnership website at Online support There are a number of online resources available that can provide you with information and support. Surrey Information Point Surrey Information Point is an online directory of information, services and activities to support adults in Surrey to live more independently. Visit to find out about local support available to help you make good choices. PA Finder PA Finder is a free service provided by Surrey Independent Living Council, which helps to find and recruit the right Personal Assistant (PA) for you. It enables people who are looking for work as a PA to see your details and apply to work for you. Visit to find out more. 14

17 Activity Finder Activity Finder is a website to help people find and take part in a large range of activities. As well as looking for interesting things to do, you can share your experiences and find other people with the same interests. Visit to get more information. Tel: Fax: Minicom: Care Finder Care Finder is a website that helps people find domiciliary care and support, respite care, residential and nursing home care. Visit to find out more information. Support with Confidence Support with Confidence helps people make good and informed choices when selecting their care or purchasing goods or services. They can be confident that members of the scheme are reliable, trustworthy, understanding, and responsive to their needs. A list of Support with Confidence members is located on the Surrey Information Point website at 15

18 At the end of the phone Regardless of whether or not you are entitled to receive care and support services, Surrey County Council s dedicated helpline for Adult Social Care enquiries can offer you a range of information and advice: Adult Social Care helpline Tel: (lines open Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) Fax: SMS: contactcentre.adults@surreycc.gov.uk Or write to: Adult Social Care Contact Centre Room 298, County Hall Penrhyn Road Kingston upon Thames KT1 2DW 16

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20 Surrey County Council County Hall Kingston upon Thames Surrey KT12 DN If you would like this information in large print, Braille, on tape or in another language please contact us on: Tel: Minicom: Fax: ST.CS2316.