Direct Payments and Individual Budgets: Managing the Finances

Summary

This publication provides advice to local authorities that wish to tackle the challenging financial issues involved in extending direct payments, or developing individual budgets or in control schemes.

Download contents and intropdf 19.98 KB

Format

Book

Published

2007

Author

CIPFA

£49.50

Add to basket

This publication from CIPFA’s expert Social Care Panel is fully supported by the Department of Health and in Control.

It is an essentially practical guide and addresses the emerging environment and provides some early advice to local authorities that wish to tackle the challenging financial issues involved in extending direct payments, or developing individual budgets or in Control schemes. It provides guidance on both direct payments and individual budgets and widely updates CIPFA’s Community Care Direct Payments: Accounting and Financial Management Guidelines.

People with social care needs are increasingly seeking greater levels of choice and control than local authorities have traditionally offered and currently there is much activity in this field. The Office for Disability Issues is striving to take forward recommendations from Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People to implement a Centre for Independent Living in every authority by 2010. There is a programme of activity under way to increase the take-up of direct payments and at the same time there are 13 pilot authorities across England funded by the Department of Health to trial individual budgets. The direction of travel towards the personalisation of social care seems to be beyond doubt.

In this context it is particularly important that local authorities take stock of their administrative and financial processes to ensure that the money available in the social care system is used to greatest effect in meeting people’s needs and adding value to their lives, and that administrative processes are efficient and fit for purpose.

Direct Payments and Individual Budgets: Managing the Finances will be of interest to policy and finance staff in local authorities (in England, Scotland and Wales) with responsibilities for increasing the take up of direct payments or developing individual budgets. It offers advice on how to align reviewing and monitoring systems for all types of self directed support and more broadly how to ensure that systems for supporting the personalisation of social care can be developed cohesively to maximise the potential benefits for service users and make the most efficient use of local authority resources.

It may also be of interest to voluntary organisations and individuals working in the field of social care.