Traditional Social Care

Traditional social care and the management of a person's care has always followed a rather standard process.

Starting with a professional assessment of your care needs, your care manager or social worker then looks at where your needs are being met by other care and support services. The care manager or social worker then creates a care plan for you to describe how your social care needs will be met.

Care and support services are chosen from a standard list of services which have been chosen and bought by the local authority, however these services may not always meet your personal needs and preferences, nor does it give you any control to make decisions about the type of care you feel will best meet your needs.

The total costs of the support in your care plan depends on the type of services that are selected, but you are often not made aware of the total costs involved in providing yourcare and support services.

So why are we changing traditional social care?

• Traditional social care relies mainly on social workers or care managers to make decisions about your care needs, rather than giving you control and a say over your support arrangements.
• You cant be imaginative in choosing the support you need.
• There is little encouragement for you, or your family to help in finding care and support solutions.
• Services are selected for you and may not be personal to your needs and aspirations for your life.
• You are not aware of the amount of money available to spend on your care.

More Choice & Control Through Self-Directed Support

Self-Directed Support is a new approach to providing social care and changes how the traditional social care system works, by giving you much more choice and control over your social care needs. 

 
There are 7 steps to being in control of your own care:

Step 1 - Money - Finding Out How Much

Self-Directed Support starts with a short self-assessment questionnaire, in which your responses indicate what care and support you need.  This is part of the Care Trust Plus assessment of need.  Once the questionnaire is completed, the Care Trust Plus decides whether you are eligible to receive social care help and if eligible, how much help should be offered.  If not eligible, the Care Trust Plus will offer you information and advice, or referral to other organisations.  Social care support is offered in the form of a Personal Budet, which is the amount of money the Care Trust Plus has decided it should spend on meeting your social care needs.
 

Step 2 - Developing the Support Plan

The second stage involves developing a Support Plan which explains how you will spend your Personal Budget to make improvements to your life.  The Support Plan can be made by you and help can be gained from family, friends, care managers or other professionals.

Step 3 - Getting the Plan Agreed

The Care Trust Plus has to agree the Support Plan – the amount of the support needed and the costs of the support in the plan.  The Care Trust Plus will also check your care and support goals and ambitions are safe. Once agreed, you will then be given their Personal Budget.

Step 4 - Organising the Money

You can take as much control as you want over the money in their Personal Budget.  The money can be paid to you, or someone can manage the money on your behalf such as a friend, family member, a Trust, a care manager or other professional.