Direct Payments

Personalised Budgets, including Direct Payments are a way to give families more control over the services they access. Children's Services allocate a sum of money – a budget – to be used to meet those needs. This budget will become personalised to that child, and the payments made into a nominated bank account provided to individuals who have been assessed by Children's Social Care, as needing care and support services under the Children Act 1989 and Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

Decisions regarding Personal Budgets/Direct Payments are made via a multi-disciplinary and agency Quality Assurance Meeting (QAM) and are based on assessed need after completion of a Child and Young Persons Assessment undertaken by a Social Worker. The assessing professional will present their assessment findings and recommendations to QAM for consideration.

Knowing how much their budget is and being able to make decisions about how it is spent will give young people and/or their families more control over the services they receive. This financial support is not means-tested and is based upon meeting the identified unmet need.

The Council has a duty to offer Direct Payments (where appropriate) to:

• Young people with disabilities aged 16 and 17.
• Those with parental responsibility for a child with disabilities aged under 16.

The Council must be satisfied that anyone eligible for Direct Payments (child/young person or person with Parental Responsibility for an eligible child) are able to give consent to receiving Direct Payments, must remain in control of the arrangements and be accountable for the way in which Direct Payments are used, either directly or with support.

A young person must be able to demonstrate that they have the ability to manage Direct Payments themselves, or with the help and support of a close family friend, advocate, or one of the Direct Payment Support Service providers available.

Direct Payments can be used in a wide range of innovative and creative ways as long as they are safe, legal and meet the child or young person’s assessed care and support needs. For example, the Direct Payment can be used for:

• A Personal Assistant
• Community access
• A carer
• Short breaks for children

• You can have greater control over who provides your care and how it is delivered.
• You can arrange and manage your own care.
• You can choose the individual(s) who you wish to care for you. There are exceptions to this – your allocated worker or Short Breaks and Direct Payment Officer can explain this to you further.
• By arranging your own care, you can make sure that all your care needs are met in the way that you want.
• Your support plan can be as flexible as you need it to be. For example, you can choose to change when to have your support, such as in the evenings or at weekends.
• Families will be provided initial advice and guidance around Direct Payments to make an informed choice before proceeding.

Your allocated worker will help you design your support plan based on your identified care and support needs following your Child & Family Assessment or Review. Once you have designed your support plan, you and your allocated worker will discuss how your needs will be met and how you will spend your Direct Payment.

There are a number of different support options available to you.

Your allocated worker or Short Breaks and Direct Payment Officer will support you with the initial set up of your Direct Payment. They will complete a Direct Payment Agreement with you. This is an agreement between you and the Council identifying your responsibilities towards your Direct Payment and how the Council will also support you.

There are also a number of payroll services available to use to support with paying for any Personal Assistants and/or carers that you may employee for your support needs. Your allocated worker or Short Breaks and Direct Payment Officer will be able to advise you of these and make referrals to them on your behalf. The payroll services will ensure you meet your employer responsibilities, which include paying your Personal Assistant, tax, National Insurance Contributions, holiday and sick pay.

Your allocated worker and Short Breaks and Direct Payment Officer will work with you to ensure you have all the information you need to support you with your Direct Payment.

Once you have agreed to have a Direct Payment your allocated worker, and Short Breaks and Direct Payment Officer will support you to set it up:

You will enter into a formal agreement with the Council to take on the responsibility for managing your Direct Payment and using it appropriately, this is your Direct Payment Agreement.

You will be responsible for contracts and payments when you buy your care and support.

You will need to set up a separate bank account for the Council to use to pay your Direct Payment into. Alternatively, in some instances, the Local Authority may support with a Managed Account – our commissioned provider People Plus, can advise and support in managing the Direct Payment.

You will need to understand any responsibilities you have towards your employee’s, you can find out more information here.

You will need to provide information on how you spend your Direct Payment, for example keeping timesheets for your Personal Assistant(s) or Carer(s), receipts of community activities purchased.

If you receive support before your 18th birthday you will not pay a contribution towards your care.

The eligible child/young person/representative has the freedom to use the independent sector, or to employ Personal Assistants for the provision of their care. The level of the Direct Payments will differ depending upon the type of provision chosen by them; therefore, it is important that the Children with Disabilities Service is notified if they change their service provision, as this may affect their Direct Payment amount.

Direct Payment amounts are calculated based on fixed hourly rates, if families decide to purchase care above the hourly rate awarded then they are expected to top up funds using the Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payments or personal funds.

Children’s Safeguarding Training

Children’s safeguarding training is available online to everyone receiving Direct Payments and for their Personal Assistants. The Dudley Safeguarding People’s Partnership have a range of training events and e-learning courses.

Continuing Care and Personal Health Budgets

For those who are eligible for Continuing Care, a Personal Health Budget may be awarded – a Direct Payment is one of the three ways for children to receive and manage a Personal Health Budget. More information can be found on the Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust website.