Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Adults and Community which gave the Members an update on the Personalisation agenda and highlighted the current barriers and risks to full implementation on the personalisation programme.

The Board was advised that Halton Borough Council was committed to increasing the number of people who received Direct Payments and Personal Budgets.  This was in line with national priorities and the shift to Self Directed Support (SDS) so that clients and carers had a greater choice and control over the support they received and how it was delivered.

The Board was further advised that SDS was a term used to describe how people could exercise choice and control over their lives and the services they received.  This required people to be aware of the financial value attributed to meeting their needs.  This was known as an individual budget and allowed them to make an informed choice about how this was used.

It was reported that SDS included the use of direct payments and the delivery of individualised person centred services.  Attached at Appendix 1 was a draft SDS policy which embraced these mechanisms and applied them across all client group areas.

In addition, it was reported that the Resource Allocation System (RAS) outlined the new system for allocating resources through personal budgets and was based on a person’s assessed need taking into account all their circumstances.  The personal budget system was a robust system of fair funding and provided equality across all service areas.  Attached at Appendix 2 was a draft RAS.

The following comments arose from the discussion:-

·         Concern was raised at the possibility of fraud in the new system and how this could be monitored.  In response, it was reported that there was a significant amount of auditing undertaken throughout the whole system;

·        Concern was raised on how the Authority ensured that the service individuals were paying for met their needs and whether it was value for money. The Well Being Board would also need to be monitored and it was suggested that an update report be presented to the Board in six months time.  It was also acknowledged that sometimes the individual concerned would not always be aware of their specific needs;

·        It was suggested that personal assistant training could be mandatory rather than recommended;

·        Concern was raised that the current post holder who audited the system and provided the resultant individualised budgets and adjusted the system was only funded part time until March 2011 from the Council’s Transformation Grant; and

·        Concern was raised at the demand on the Authority for personal assistant training and clarity was sought on how this would continue in light of the cuts in funding.  It was also noted that monitoring the increased number of personal assistants would be challenging.  In response it was reported that the Authority were working towards providing an accreditation programme for personal assistants.

RESOLVED: That

(1)                     the report and comments made be noted; and

    (2)         that an update report be presented to the Board in six months.