What It Means For You
You decide how to spend your local authority budget, and they arrange the services for you. You can pick specific care providers or things that help you meet your goals. While you get to choose, the authority handles the money side.
Things To Keep In Mind
With this option, you usually can’t hire personal assistants (PA’s) directly, but you can choose care from a service agency.
Make sure the person you’re helping has capacity to make their own decisions. If not, you might need a guardianship order to be able to make decisions for them.
Support Thats There For You
The Community Brokerage Network is there to help with your assessment and link you up with local care providers. They can also help with putting together your support plan and making sure everyone agrees on what’s best.
Usual Link and FAQS
There are many care providers operating across Ayrshire but due to demand being high, their capacity is limited. This may impact the level of flexibility you can have when arranging times for your support to be delivered. It is not always possible for a care provider to commit to the same support person attending each time they visit. For some people this is not ideal. Your broker can support you to talk to any potential care providers about your preferences before you make a decision.
All Care Providers and Care Homes in Scotland must be registered with the Care Inspectorate. You can check for recent inspections, view past inspections and in some cases read user reviews on the Care Inspectorate website.
Yes, under Option 2, you can use your budget to purchase items that help meet your needs, beyond just direct care. This can include a variety of supports and resources aimed at enhancing your well-being and independence.
Key Considerations
- Approval: Ensure the items you wish to purchase are agreed upon in your support plan and approved by your local authority social worker or care manager before you purchase any items.
- Budget Management: Keep track of your spending to ensure it aligns with your allocated budget and meets your identified needs.
If someone finds it difficult to understand and make decisions for themselves, they may need someone in their life who is legally responsible for helping them make decisions, or even to make decisions for them. If the person you are arranging care for is deemed to lack capacity to make their own decisions then you would not be able to choose an option 2 without seeking a guardianship order. Further information on this is available.
For further information and reading on the pros and cons of selecting an Option 2, please refer to The SDS Handbook using the link below.
Your care plan is usually reviewed once a year. However, if your needs change before your scheduled review, you can contact your social worker or care manager for an earlier review. This way, you can discuss any changes in your needs and your preferences for how your care is provided. If you need help with this, your broker can support you through the process. Feel free to reach out to us anytime.
