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We want to keep people living independently and to have choice and control over the support they would like to receive.

• More information about Personal Budgets can be found in our factsheet Personal Budgets (FS7) and on the website at: www.devon.gov.uk/puttingpeoplefirst.

Putting People First is about providing people with high quality advice, information and community-based support, which will enable them to maintain their independence and live in their own homes for as long as possible. From November 2010, everyone who is assessed and eligible will be offered a Personal Budget so they can choose exactly what support they receive.

Once we’ve agreed with the individual how much support they need, we will help people to organise the right mix of services to help them achieve their goals and ‘outcomes’ they have set with their adviser. This agreement forms the individual's support plan, and they will be able to use their personal budget to buy the support they need.

• Read some Frequently Asked Questions on Personal Budgets.

Jenny slowly lost her sight. She found that she could have a 'Personal Budget' and use Direct Payments to employ her own carers - and she hasn’t regretted one moment since.

“As I can’t sign cheques very well, my daughter has a special Direct Payments bank account for me so we pay my carer, monthly from that.”

“It’s fifty times better! It doesn’t matter what’s going on, we can always work it out between ourselves. I don’t feel inhibited, my carer knows everything about me. It’s not like having an employee around – it’s more like a trusted friend.

“I don’t want to lose my independence and have everything done for me and that’s where Direct Payments have helped, they let me be my own person and still be in charge of my life.”

Read more Devon Stories.

   

Personal Budgets - your money, your choice.

The idea of a Personal Budget is to make you aware of the value of your care and support. We will work with you and offer you the opportunity to make choices about how your care and support is provided, or you can even take control yourself.

What is a Personal Budget?

It is money that is allocated by us (Devon Adult & Community Services) to you. This money can be used to arrange your own care and support, after your assessment or your review.

The amount of money to cover the social care that you are eligible for will be known as a Personal Budget. You can, if you wish, have some or all of this money paid directly to you as a Direct Payment.

Then you can buy the services you want to use, giving you independence, choice and control. You may be asked to pay towards the cost. This is a contribution based on an assessment of your financial circumstances.

Who will get a Personal Budget?

A Personal Budget will be available to people who, following an assessment of their needs and financial position, are eligible for support and assistance from us. We have to make people with the greatest need our top priority and we have set eligibility criteria to enable us to do so. We can discuss this with you at the time’, or you can read the factsheet Assessment and Fair Access to Care (FS1).

What can I spend my Personal Budget on?

Following a conversation about your life we will work with you to make a support plan. Your Personal Budget must be spent on meeting the needs and achieving the objectives (your ‘outcomes’) we have agreed in your support plan.

Managing your money and support

If you think you need help to manage your support or your personal budget money then a suitable organisation, a family member or a friend could help you. We are here to help you too – members of our Direct Payments team can offer you advice and support. Or, you can nominate someone to act on your behalf who can help you manage the Direct Payment including any employment and payroll responsibilities.

Organising your support

It is important that you choose the right support provider. Any good provider will be more than happy to answer any questions you have before you make your decision. You should feel totally comfortable that you have chosen the right support service. You may even be able to set up a trial period before deciding whether a support service or care home is the right one for you.

Consider these questions before you speak to any service provider and think about their answers after any discussions or visits have taken place:

• Were the staff helpful in setting out exactly what services they provide?
• Did they explain their costs and charges properly?
• If you are going to pay for your own care, were they willing to give you a blank copy of their contract for you to look at after your visit?
• Were they confident to allow you to meet and talk to other people who use their service?
• How does this meet my eligible needs and outcomes?
• Can I have this support at a time that suits me?
• Can I choose my own staff?

   

How the offer of a Personal Budget can work

Margaret, 81, lives alone and constantly telephones her daughter and GP surgery. Her GP was considering a possible place in a residential care home when Margaret was referred to our Our Care Direct Plus team. Margaret’s initial conversation with us involved our adviser using their skills to determine her eligible needs – Margaret was feeling low, depressed and isolated, and was unable to cook basic meals. She was caring for herself but lacked a social role.

Their assessment conversation enabled Margaret to think about what’s important to her and how her eligible needs could be met in the way she wanted. Margaret didn’t like the idea of a day centre so our adviser and Margaret developed a support plan - they talked about her hobbies – she had always wanted to learn to paint and to have cooking lessons.

Her assessment identified she was eligible for assistance for a social care offer and showed she had savings of less than £23,250*.

Her agreed outcomes were to become less isolated and improve her nutrition.

Our adviser referred Margaret to one of our community mentoring services, which supports people who are lonely or depressed.– They got her involved in local community activities.

Margaret understood that her Personal Budget must be spent on achieving her needs and objectives agreed in her support plan.

She chose to receive her Personal Budget through Direct Payments to pay for a local cookery course to improve her nutrition.

A few months after the referral, Care Direct Plus received a telephone call from Margaret’s daughter, saying her mother is always so busy now she hardly ever rings her!

* limit in 2010 until April 2011.

   

More information

• Personal Budgets Policy (57KB - pdf help) (January 2011).
• National Personal Budget Survey (ends April 2012).
• Case studies, articles and further information on Personal Budgets
• Devon Stories: We have interviewed several people in Devon to bring together a collection of powerful stories. Their stories explain how we are improving people's experience of adult social care, giving more choice and control, and putting the people of Devon at the heart of the decision-making process. Read their Devon Stories
• Older people’s experiences of personal budgets SCIE
• How Devon County Council estimate a personal budget