What is Personalisation of Services?

Personalisation is about people being in control over the support and services they need.

How does it work?

This new system consists of 3 steps:

• Assessment of needs
• Allocation of a Personal Budget  based on the above assessment
• A Support Plan outlining how you wish to spend your Personal Budget

Assessment of needs

A Care Manager will help to establish whether you have eligible needs by completing a Joint Assessment form with you. This will help to determine what level of support you need and how much social care funding will be available to you. A carer’s assessment can also be included.

Allocation of a Personal Budget

If you are eligible for social care funding you will be offered a Personal Budget and the option to buy the services you need instead of having them arranged for you.

This means you will have control and more flexibility over your support arrangements.

If you don’t qualify for funding you will be offered information, support and guidance whatever your level of need.

Making and agreeing a Support Plan

Once it is established that you do qualify for social care funding you will need to complete a Support Plan showing how you would like to spend your Personal Budget.

The different types of support you choose and how the services will be delivered should be discussed with your Care Manager. If you prefer this can be done with the help of your family.

What happens if I need help urgently?

Support planning can take a little time and so we will still arrange social care and support for you for short periods of time in urgent situations. However, we would then be working with you to develop your longer term support plan once your situation has settled.

What can the money be spent on?

The budget can be used to meet your assessed needs in lots of different ways, this is where it differs from past systems, for example:

• to pay for personal care and  support to help you live in your own home.
• to employ a personal assistant, or buy  services from a care agency to help you with personal or domestic care tasks.
• to pay for short breaks at home or somewhere else so that you or your  carer can take a break from your normal routine.
• to fund activities such as college courses, driving lessons or other things you enjoy doing, which enhance your wellbeing and quality of life.

Your Care Manager will then agree the Support Plan using key criteria such as levels of risk and cost before the money can be released.

There are also four factsheets available to explain more about Personalisation.