Support plans and personal budgets
If you qualify for funded support from us, we will give you a personal budget. It’s a sum of money you can use to buy support tailored to your needs. This means you have more choice and control over:
- who supports you and when
- how your support is provided.
A personal budget is combined of the amount you pay and the amount the Council pay towards your care.
The amount of money you will have to contribute to your personal budget depends on your individual circumstances. You’ll have to get a financial assessment to find if you qualify for funded care.
How do I use a personal budget?
Once we tell you how much money we can give you, you can create a support plan. This is a record of how you plan to use the money to meet your care needs and improve your life.
Your personal budget can’t be spent on anything your other money would usually pay for, like food, rent, or gambling.
How do I manage a personal budget?
There are different ways to manage your money.
Direct payments
- Straight to you - You can have your personal budget paid into a separate bank account (not your existing current account) and you look after it. You pay for any support you receive and you keep a record of what you spend your money on
- jointly to a representative - Your personal budget is paid to someone who agrees to act on your behalf. Your representative then spends the money on your support to meet your needs. A representative can be a family member, a friend or anyone else you choose
- to a suitable person - If a decision has been made under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 that you do not have capacity to consent to managing a direct payment and if it is in your 'best interest', your personal budget can be paid to a suitable person as defined by the Council and the law
- to a third party or provider - Your personal budget is paid directly to an organisation or support provider to either help you manage your money or your support. The organisation or support provider may charge you for this service. At all times, you (or your representative) have control over how your personal budget is spent and will be involved in any decision making
- to a user trust - A trust can be set up to manage your personal budget on your behalf if a decision has been made under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 that you cannot consent to a direct payment and there is not a suitable person able to manage your money on your behalf.
Derby City Council holds the money for you
We can provide and arrange care and support for you and manage your personal budget on your behalf. If we hold the money, we will only be able to use agencies and providers that are registered with the Care Quality Commission and are on our approved provider list, to provide your care and support.
What could I use my personal budget on?
- personal assistants to provide tailored support and care
- short stays in a care home or respite care
- equipment not covered by the NHS.
What is a support plan?
A support plan describes:
- how you want to live your life
- what you want to change
- what you need to do to make these changes.
Your support plan does not need to be in any particular format. It can be written, include photos and drawings, or a video. It's your plan and you can create it any way you want.
What help is available to me to create a support plan?
You don't have to write your support plan on your own, there are lots of ways you can get help to do this:
- you can download a Support Plan Template to help get you started
- ask your family and friends for support
- you can contact other people who have written plans and learn from them
- there is a lot of information available on the internet
- providers of services might be able to support you
- social care workers can also support you.
What do I need to include in a support plan?
Your support plan will need to show:
- what is important to you
- what you want to achieve or do differently
- how you want to be supported
- how you will use your personal budget
- how you will manage your support
- how you will stay in control of your life
- how you are going to make your plan happen.
To help answer these questions, we have explained what each question means and what we look for before agreeing your support plan. This is included in the Customer guide to self-directed support and personal budgets.
Who will approve my support plan?
We need to approve your support plan before you can receive your personal budget. Once approved, your support plan will form a contract between you and the Council.
What happens next?
After your support plan has been approved you will need to organise your personal budget and arrange your support. Your Social Care Worker will talk to you about this.
After a few months, your Social Care Worker will speak to you and do a quick review of how things are going. This review will focus on how you feel about:
- managing your personal budget
- being in control of your support plan
- the people who are supporting you
- whether you feel safe and secure with the support you receive.
After 12 months, we will do a more thorough review of your plan with you to check everything is working ok.
You don't have to wait for the 12 month review, if you feel that your circumstances have changed, you can contact your Social Care Worker at any time.