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Personal budgets

Buying social care for adults

A Personal Budget is a regular sum of money that can be used to buy the social care you need. Asking for a Personal Budget will help you to:

. . . to meet your personal and social needs.

You may be able to have a Personal Budget if you are:

• a person with a physical disability
• a person with a sensory impairment
• a person with a learning disability
• a person who is over 65
• a person with mental health support needs
• a young person with a disability moving into Adult Care
• a parent carer of a disabled child.

To make sure we provide help fairly the Government has set levels of need that you must have to get social care from the Council.

This information does not apply to people under the age of 18.  The Council's Children and Young People's Services may be able to help people under the age of 18.

Simple steps to getting a Personal Budget

1. Gateway to Care:
   Contact Gateway to Care on 0845 11 11 103.  The Gateway to Care advisor will talk about what your needs are.  We may ask you to try Reablement to help you to regain your independence before using a Personal Budget. This can take up to eight weeks and there may be a charge for this service. If, after Reablement, you still need help we will continue with your application for a Personal Budget.
2. The "My Outcomes" Form:
   When you apply for a Personal Budget you will be asked to fill in a My Outcomes form. This will help you to look at and tell us what areas of your life you would like to be better. It covers all areas of how you live, such as your personal care needs, keeping safe and being part of your community.
   
   Your friends and family can help you to complete the My Outcomes form. If you have a social care worker they can help too. We will use the answers you give to check if you are able to have a Personal Budget.
3. Money:
   You may have to make a contribution towards your Personal Budget.  To make sure this is as little as possible we will arrange for someone from the Council's Fairer Charging Team to visit you at home to offer you a benefits check and financial assessment.
4. Support Plan:
   If we are able to give you a Personal Budget we will help you to make a Support Plan. The Support Plan will set out how your Personal Budget will be spent to meet your social care needs.

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