In line with the Government's White Paper ‘Our health, Our care, Our say’, 13 project sites have been set up in England to pilot Individual Budgets. Linked to this Cumbria has set up an In Control Pilot for learning disabilities and Carlisle's Physical Disabilities Team are now also piloting the scheme over the next year. The In Control Pilot scheme nationally has a wider remit than the Cumbria pilot, and takes full individualised budgets into social services benefits/funding streams.
The seven steps to "In Control" are:
- Assessment - the person being assessed can find out how much money they are able to have as an individual budget (using a Resource Allocation System in which number of points=£s cash that a person is entitled to).
- Plan Support - The person can work out how they should use the money to meet their needs in the way that suits them best.
- Agree the Plan - The person checks their assessment and support plan with the local authority or other funder.
- Manage Individual Budget - The person decides on the best way to manage their individual budget.
- Organise Support - The person organises the housing, help, equipment or other things they want. Help is available from a number of resources.
- Live Life - The person uses the support to help them to live the life they want to.
- Review and Learn - The person, with the care manager, checks how things are going and makes changes if needed.
The "In Control" schemes will lead to changing work practices for social workers. They:
- give people more choice in managing their finances,
- give them more control in deciding how their care is provided and
- enable more independent living.
Cumbria has successfully bid to be an 'in Control Total' project site (formerly known as Total Transformation). The in Control Total project is under way and will lead to use of In Control/individual budgets for all adults with a target of 50% of all adults coming within this scheme by 2009. For more information on the in Control Total project, see our website using the link below.
For more information about In Control: