Self-Directed Support is the way that social care on the Isles of Scilly is delivered. It involves identifying and allocating a Personal Budget - an upfront sum of money to meet your needs.
Personal Budgets will be available to all adults who are assessed as eligible for support from Adult Social Care. People with Moderate, substantial and critical needs are eligible for support, but note there may be a financial contribution required towards your Personal Budget depending upon your financial circumstances. There are few constraints on how Personal Budgets are used as long as it is legal and keeps you safe and healthy, meets your assessed support needs, and enables you to do the things you want to do. Recipients have the option to take their Personal Budget as a Direct Payment.
Self-Directed Support involves allocating an estimated amount of money, called the "indicative amount" or "estimated budget" to meet your assessed needs. You should use this estimated amount to plan the support you need to meet your assessed needs. A friend, relative, carer or social care worker can help you with your plan.
Your social care worker must approve your plan and then you will be allocated the money for the support you need. This is called your Personal Budget. It can be paid directly to you as a Direct Payment so that you can arrange your own care and support, we can arrange the support that you have chosen for you, or you can do a combination of the two.
A Personal Budget gives you the independence to:
- Choose and control the support that is best for you.
- Be fully involved in decisions about the help you need to live independently.
- Support yourself in ways that suit you.
Once you have made your plan and received your Personal Budget you should get on and live the life you want to lead. You will have a review after 4 weeks to check everything is OK. After that, we will do a review at least once a year to check if your social care needs have changed.