What Does it Take to Individualise Block Funded Budgets? Chris Taylor - England (1.) Use of these notes requires acknowledgement of both author and organization.

Why reconfigure budgets at all? (2.)

What Does it Take to Individualise Block Funded Budgets? “The majority of people who require support can express choices, can make decisions, and can live life in the Community, irrespective of impairment, illness and age”. (3.)

What Does it Take to Individualise Block Funded Budgets? “Local Government policy and practice should offer pro-active ways in which people, irrespective of impairment and/or illness and short or long term conditions are able to access direct payments”. (4.)

What Does it Take to Individualise Block Funded Budgets? Building Blocks: è Active local Disability Rights Agenda è Enabling Legislation è Flexible Budgets è A Care Management approach which is needs led in assessments è Empowering Partnerships capable of sustaining highs and lows è Peer Support for disabled people using Direct Payments è Receptive Corporate agenda which challenges wefareism (5.)

What Does it Take to Individualise Block Funded Budgets? The limitations: è Budgets tied up in traditional services è Most Social Workers didn’t understand IF è Peer Support came from those on the scheme for each other è Awareness of the Social Model of Disability was poor (6.)

No. of Direct Payments Users in Hampshire (7.)

What Does it Take to Individualise Block Funded Budgets? è The Community Care Act needs led assessments within Care Management approach è Transfer of funds from the Benefits Agency to Local Authorities to support “Care in the Community” è Availability of funds from the Government Trust Fund (ILF) è Disability Discrimination Act 1995 è Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996 (8.)

Shift in Provision of Services in Hampshire (9.)

1999/2000 Proportions of the Disability Budget in Hampshire > 40% of Domiciliary Care now Direct Payments (10.)

What Does it Take to Individualise Block Funded Budgets? To achieve it: è Badged money for Direct Payments for 2 years è Centrally directed the spend è Mainstreamed into Community Care Budgets-tracking spend è Targeted other funds e.g. ILF (11.)

What Does it Take to Individualise Block Funded Budgets? To sustain it: è Inductions for staff è Dedicated training with user involvement è Finance staff targeted for awareness è Commissioning Plans explicit with accountability for delivery of targets è Celebrate success - promote & educate è Continuous improvement - review & monitor with Direct Payments users (12.)

What Does it Take to Individualise Block Funded Budgets? To summarise: è Involve disabled people in the whole process è Prepare for the culture shift in an Authority è Engage politicians, Senior Managers, Finance and Legal Departments, Unions, etc è Invest in a ‘champion of service’ è Engage, support and motivate care managers è Commission all services within an Independent Living value base è Use all opportunities to ensure budgets follow people and are flexible. Desinvest to reinvest è Build in Peer Support è Promote IL and Direct Payments across agencies and departments and tie into equality strategies (13.)

What Does it Take to Individualise Block Funded Budgets? Future issues: è Getting IL further into ‘Mainstream’ services è Promoting housing with IL support è Health benefits for Direct Payments users è Promoting IL for mental health system users (14.)