Planning your care and support

Planning your care and support

Once you have had your needs assessment, you will know if you are eligible.  If you are eligible, a personal budget is set up and a care and support plan is agreed upon.

Personal budget

A personal budget is an agreed amount of money that is allocated to you personally by the Council (and other funding streams) following an assessment of your care and support needs. It is agreed annually.

How to manage your personal budget

There are different ways to manage your personal budget: 

  • You can ask us to arrange services for you and deal with the provider/s on your behalf 

  • It may be possible to organise an Individual Service Fund for some services. This is where we pay a provider to support you; and you decide with the provider how they will support you to achieve the outcomes in your plan 

  • A direct payment, which is a cash payment into your bank account to buy the support you need. You can also nominate another person or organisation to manage the direct payment for you.  

  • A combination of these options 

What a Care and Support Plan includes 

  • the type of support you need
  • how this support will be given
  • how much money your Council will spend on your care
  • how much money you will spend to meet your needs
  • how the personal budget will be managed

You can buy services in the following ways:

  • recruit staff as personal assistants to help you work, socialise, get out and about
  • short breaks (for carers) or stays in a care home
  • take part in education sessions
  • attend day centres
  • pay towards transport costs
  • buy equipment and aids to help you move around your home
  • get informal or community support

Reviews

A review will take place:

  • to confirm that your needs have been met
  • to update your care and support plan, normally annually
  • if you think that your care and support needs have changed
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