PERSONAL BUDGETS
OUR GUIDE TO PERSONALISATION
WHAT IS PERSONALISATION?
WHY IS PERSONALISATION
DIFFERENT?
Personalisation is a way of describing how support for vulnerable people is provided. It affects social care services as well as other public services. The idea behind personalisation is to give people real choice and control over the support they receive, as opposed to other people deciding for them. People can choose to be involved in planning and organising their own support, or they can choose others to do it for them.
While some people will see radical changes in their lives, others will notice very little difference. It is important to state that change will not be imposed on anybody
Personalisation recognises that the individual in need of support, and often their family, are the best people to describe the kind of support they need. Personalisation means giving individuals real choice and control over their lives.
WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?
Many people think personalisation just means having direct payments or an individual budget, but it also involves:
• Ensuring the support offered is designed to meet the needs of the individual
• Service providers working together in partnerships to offer a range of options for people to choose from
• Opportunities for social inclusion
• Early intervention
• Recognising and supporting carers
HOW DOES IT WORK?
People needing social care are able to:
• assess their own needs
• receive their funding directly
• manage their own individual budgets
• organise and purchase their own support.
If individuals feel unable to manage some or all of this themselves, they will be able to access help and support from others, such as brokers, the local authority and service providers.
NICKEL NINE STEPS
Nickel Nine Steps is a idea formulated by Nickel Support to make it easier to access the service using your personal
budget: ensuring that all services in the community are accessible to everybody.