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Self-directed Support / Personalisation

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What is Self-directed Support / Personalisation?

The Scottish Parliament passed the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 so people who are eligible for social care support can get greater choice and control over how they receive these services.  This means care services can be 'personalised' to meet your individual needs.

Principles we follow:

  • We will always treat you with dignity and respect.
  • We will make sure that you are involved in decisions about your care and support.
  • We will make sure that you have enough information to understand what is available and make the choices which are right for you.
  • We will make sure that you have the chance to ask questions about any part of your support. You will also be given enough time and information to understand and be part of decisions about your support, particularly when it is being stopped or changed.

Who can access Self-directed Support?

To access self-directed support (SDS) an assessment of your needs is required, the type of assessment can vary between services. 

If you would like to request an assessment you can Contact Health and Social Care

Adults and Older People Services

Glasgow City Council has a duty to assess your needs for a community care service. We will take your carers' views into account when assessing your needs and when deciding whether and how to provide services to you.

Eligibility Criteria

Following your assessment of need, we then need to decide whether your needs require a service. This is sometimes referred to as the decision on eligibility. We use our Guide to Eligibility_Criteria (PDF, 50 KB) to make this decision.

If you are not eligible for SDS, Your Support Your Way Glasgow provides further information, advice and guidance about local services, groups, and sources of help.

Further Information

For more information on the steps involved in Self-directed Support, read our Personalisation Guide - Your Support Your Way Glasgow.

Children and Families Services

Glasgow City Council has a duty to safeguard, support and promote the well being of children in Glasgow. When assessing a child's needs, we will also consider the views of the child's parent or guardian, the views of the child and the views of their carer.

  • A child or young person with additional needs could be offered funding because universal and mainstream services have already been maximised with the skilled support of a lead professional. There is an understanding that without this funding the child or young person will not be able to make best use of universal and mainstream opportunities. Due to the complexity of their support needs, the child or young person and their family may need specialist support or opportunities.

Further information

For more information on supports available see our Children's Services section.

Services for Unpaid Carers

Glasgow City Council will assist carers so that they can continue to care, if they so wish, in better health and to have a life alongside caring.

  • We must offer an Adult Carer Support Plan or Young Carer Statement to anyone we identify as a carer and prepare one for those that accept.
  • We will provide support to any carer whose identified needs for support meet our eligibility criteria. 

Further Information

For more information about how to get support as a carer see Your Support Your Way Glasgow.

 

What are the Self-directed Support Options? 

If you have been assessed as needing funded social care support, then you have a choice of options for how you would like your support to be organised.

There are four main options or ways of directing your support.  

Option 1 - You get a Direct Payment

We will decide how much money we will give you towards your support. You receive the money and use it to arrange your own support. You can ask us how we make these decisions. This can include employing staff and/or buying goods and services.

You have full choice and control and the most responsibility for arranging your support, which may include being an employer.

Further Information

 

Option 2 - You decide what support you want and it is arranged for you

We will decide how much money we will give you towards your support. You can ask us how we make these decisions.

You can then choose how you want the money spent. The support is arranged for you by us, or a care organisation chosen by you. You have choice and control over how your support is arranged but do not have to manage the money.

Option 3 - After discussions with you, we decide and arrange your support

We will decide how much money can be spent. You ask us to choose and arrange the support that we think is right for you. You can ask us how we make these decisions.

You are not responsible for arranging your support, and you have less choice and control over how your support is arranged.

Option 4 - You use a mixture of ways to arrange your care and support

You may want to have direct control over how some parts of your support is arranged but not other parts.  This option lets you pick the parts you want to have direct control over and what parts you want to leave to us.

 

 

What are the steps involved in Self-directed support?

Step 1: Assessment

The first step is to assess your support needs and determine if you are eligible for social care support. We will consider your strengths and capabilities, the things you can do, as well as the things you might need support with. You should try and identify your outcomes - in other words what you want to see happen in your life.  

We will look at ways of achieving these outcomes. This might be a mixture of community or informal support - that is, from your family or unpaid carer - and funded support. 

Step 2: Estimated Budget

After all the information has been gathered for your assessment your Social Worker/Care Manager will discuss your needs with you and finalise your assessment.

With this information we may allocate a budget - this is called an estimated budget and will be used to pay for your funded support.

We will tell you how much your estimated budget is and will ask you about the ways you would like to manage your budget and support.

Information about how we decide if you need to contribute towards the cost of supports provided to you can be found in the paying for your services (also called client contribution) or you can read the full  Social Care Charging Policy (PDF, 302 KB)

Step 3: Support Planning

This is when you make your support plan. You will look at what support you need and look at how you might organise your budget and decide what SDS option to use.

Your support plan needs to show us how you will be supported to meet your needs and the outcomes you identified in your assessment.

You can have as little or as much help as you want from your Social Worker/Care Manager to make your support plan.

Step 4: Agreeing the Final Support Plan

Here, we check your support plan to make sure it meets your needs and agreed outcomes. If your support plan is not agreed, you and your Social Worker/Care Manager will be asked to make some changes. When your support plan is agreed it also means that your Individual Budget is agreed.

Step 5: Receiving Your Support

Your assessment is complete, you have chosen the best way to arrange your support, your plan is agreed, and you know your Individual Budget. 

Your support plan has now started, and you are living your life the way you intended.

We will review your support plan approximately 6 weeks after it starts.

Step 6: Review

This step is where we review the care and support you receive to ensure it is being delivered to meet your needs and the outcomes in your support plan.  If it is not working for you, ask your Social Worker/Care Manager to look at your support plan again.

 

Independent Support and Advice Services

 

Further Reading

 

Last modified on 12 August 2024

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