Your personal budget is the sum of money needed to pay for your social care.
When the Council assesses your needs, we will calculate this sum, and tell you whether you have to pay a contribution towards it.
But you will be able to choose how the total sum is spent and take as much control over your care as you feel comfortable with. This is sometimes called 'Self Directed Support'.
Who are personal budgets for?
Anyone 18 or over, who is living in the community and is eligible for social care support.
You can ask for an assessment to see if you can get care and support.
If you are under 18 and have an EHC plan in place you may also be eligible for a personal budget
How does it work?
In general, the process works as follows:
- You have a needs assessment to establish which needs you have that can be supported ('eligible needs')
- You are allocated an indicative budget (estimated budget)
- You develop a 'support' or 'care' plan for using the indicative budget to meet your eligible needs.
- Once your plan is approved, you will be told the final amount of your Personal Budget and can make the necessary arrangements to get the support you have chosen.
- You will be asked to attend a review of your plan and the amount of your Personal Budget on a regular basis (this generally varies between 3 and 12 month intervals, depending on circumstances)
Employing a personal assistant
After you have been assessed and have looked at options for how to meet your support needs, you may decide to employ a Personal Assistant. The Skills for Care Toolkit contains helpful advice on all aspects of employing a personal assistant:
- Employing personal assistants toolkit (Skills for care website)
Alternatively, you may want someone to manage your personal budget for you: