How your community care is arranged and paid for

6It is possible for a client to arrange and pay for private care at home. It may still be in the client's best interest to apply to the local authority for an assessment of her/his care needs. There are different options available for organising care and support services. For example, a client may be able to use a direct payment to purchase services her/himself rather than have the services arranged by the local authority.

 More about ways that community care services can be organised

Self-directed support

http://guidance.selfdirectedsupportscotland.org.uk/

The client must be offered the following four options:

• to receive a direct payment - a cash payment given to the client so that s/he has complete control over how it is spent in meeting her/his assessed needs
• the local authority holds the budget but the client makes the decisions about how the money is spent and which providers it should be allocated to. This is sometimes called an Individual Service Fund
• arranged services - where the local authority manages the budget, makes the decisions and arranges the support and services on the client's behalf
• a mix of the first three options.

62bThe local authority must ensure that information and advice is provided to help the client make an informed choice about the way that they would like their care and support needs to be organised.

62cIf a client doesn't want to choose how her/his support services should be arranged, the local authority will decide on the support and make the arrangements on her/his behalf.

62dThe Scottish Government has published useful guides about self-directed support for people who need support and care, carers and practitioners. These guides are available from the Self-Directed Support (SDS) guidance website at http://guidance.selfdirectedsupportscotland.org.uk. More information is also available from the Self Directed Supported Scotland website at www.selfdirectedsupportscotland.org.uk.

 More about self-directed support

62eAdvisers and clients can get information and advice about self-directed support from the charity MECOPP. Their 3 R's project is available throughout Scotland to anyone who needs help with issues around self-directed support. MECOPP can provide telephone advice and information, as well as casework to help deal with more complicated issues.

MECOPP
Maritime House
8 The Shore
Edinburgh
EH6 6QN

Tel: 0131 467 2994
Email: info@mecopp.org.uk
Website: www.mecopp.org.uk

Direct payments

62fA direct payment is cash paid by a local authority to someone who has been assessed as requiring community care services, services for children or housing support services (people assessed as needing equipment and/or temporary adaptations are also included). Local authorities also have the power to offer direct payments to carers who have been assessed as requiring support services. The payment allows the recipient to purchase services her/himself rather than have the service arranged by the local authority. For example, a client may use direct payments in order to employ her/his own carers or a personal assistant (PA). In this situation, the client will need to be aware of the responsibilities that s/he will have as an employer. Direct payments can also be used to purchase services from a registered care provider or from the local authority itself.

 More about direct payments and organisations that can provide further help

What happens to the direct payments if someone has to go into hospital

73bWhen someone has to go into hospital for treatment any direct payments made to the person by the local authority, for personal care or support that is free, can be continued for a period at the discretion of the local authority. The local authority needs to be told that the person has gone into hospital. When the person returns home or is discharged from hospital and goes to live elsewhere the local authority should reassess the person's entitlement to free personal care and support.

How are services arranged

62If a local authority has assessed a client as needing support to meet her/his care needs, it must offer the client choice about how her/his care and support should be arranged and how the budget should be spent to best meet her/his needs. This is called self-directed support.

62aThe client must be offered the following four options:

• to receive a direct payment - a cash payment given to the client so that s/he has complete control over how it is spent in meeting her/his assessed needs
• the local authority holds the budget but the client makes the decisions about how the money is spent and which providers it should be allocated to. This is sometimes called an Individual Service Fund
• arranged services - where the local authority manages the budget, makes the decisions and arranges the support and services on the client's behalf
• a mix of the first three options.

62bThe local authority must ensure that information and advice is provided to help the client make an informed choice about the way that they would like their care and support needs to be organised.

62cIf a client doesn't want to choose how her/his support services should be arranged, the local authority will decide on the support and make the arrangements on her/his behalf.

62dThe Scottish Government has published useful guides about self-directed support for people who need support and care, carers and practitioners. These guides are available from the Self-Directed Support (SDS) guidance website at http://guidance.selfdirectedsupportscotland.org.uk. More information is also available from the Self Directed Supported Scotland website at www.selfdirectedsupportscotland.org.uk.

 More about self-directed support

62eAdvisers and clients can get information and advice about self-directed support from the charity MECOPP. Their 3 R's project is available throughout Scotland to anyone who needs help with issues around self-directed support. MECOPP can provide telephone advice and information, as well as casework to help deal with more complicated issues.

MECOPP
Maritime House
8 The Shore
Edinburgh
EH6 6QN

Tel: 0131 467 2994
Email: info@mecopp.org.uk
Website: www.mecopp.org.uk

Direct payments

62fA direct payment is cash paid by a local authority to someone who has been assessed as requiring community care services, services for children or housing support services (people assessed as needing equipment and/or temporary adaptations are also included). Local authorities also have the power to offer direct payments to carers who have been assessed as requiring support services. The payment allows the recipient to purchase services her/himself rather than have the service arranged by the local authority. For example, a client may use direct payments in order to employ her/his own carers or a personal assistant (PA). In this situation, the client will need to be aware of the responsibilities that s/he will have as an employer. Direct payments can also be used to purchase services from a registered care provider or from the local authority itself.

 More about direct payments and organisations that can provide further help