Please note that from June 2009, all new Social Services adult
users will be offered an Individual Budget
The Individual Budgets Pilot is an exciting new initiative that
aims to transform the way social care services are delivered.
Bath and North East Somerset is one of only 13 councils selected
by the government to participate in this 2 year pilot project.
Individual budgets are designed to help people to take control
of their own social care budgets, manage their support and choose
the services that suit them best. They put the user at the
centre of the planning process, and recognise that they are the
person best placed to understand their own needs.
Key elements include: Transparency: people are
told how much money they are entitled to spend on their own
support. Support Planning: people can develop their own plans, with
support if necessary.Flexible Funding: people are allowed much
greater flexibility in how they spend their funding.
The pilot initially involves social care funds but will
gradually implement other funding streams: supporting people funds,
equipment services, independent living fund and access to work.
A key benefit of combining funding streams is that, people who
use Individual Budgets won't have to repeatedly provide the same
information to different agencies.
We are aiming to recruit a total of 80 people onto the
scheme and will be targeting people with learning
difficulties, older people and people with physical
impairments.
If the pilots prove to be successful, Individual Budgets will be
rolled out to all local authorities by 2010.
The IB team can be contacted on:
Tel. (01225) 477054
Fax (01225) 396489
