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What are Direct Payments?
Direct Payments are paid to the parent or carer of a disabled child, or to disabled young person up to 18 years of age. It enables them to either:
- arrange and pay for their own support and services
or - receive support from an independent sector provider
Direct Payments allows you to employ your own staff to provide care and support for your child or young person. This is instead of receiving assistance arranged from Cornwall Council.
A Direct Payment offers greater choice and control over how you manage your child’s needs. It can also provide increased independence for a young disabled person.
There is no charge for choosing Direct Payments and your entitlement to welfare benefits will not be affected.
Who can receive Direct Payments?
To receive a direct payment on behalf of a child or young person
- they must be aged under 18
- you must have parental responsibility
- where an assessment has been undertaken by a social worker which shows that
- there is an identified need
- additional social care intervention is required to meet that need
What can Direct Payments be used for?
Direct Payments can be used to buy a service or support that meets the identified assessed needs of disabled children and young people. This could be over a specified period of time or as a one-off payment.
Some families choose to employ a personal assistant to provide care and support. This may enable your child or young person to access activities, increase their independence, as detailed in their Child Plan.
Direct Payments can also be used to pay for short breaks, if this has been identified as an assessed need.
You have a responsibility to ensure that the Direct payment funds are spent only on the needs identified in the child or young person’s Child Plan.
The Child Plan will be reviewed at regular intervals or where there is a change in need or change in circumstances. This may mean that Direct Payments would increase, decrease or stop. You should let your social care worker know if your child or young person’s needs have changed.
How can my child get Direct Payments?
Your child or young person will be assessed by a social worker. If they are eligible for social care support or services, you can choose to have direct payments, to meet those needs. You do not have to.
If you choose Direct Payments, Cornwall Council has a duty to your child. We must make sure that the service you purchase safeguards and promotes their welfare.
This means that we must ensure that any personal assistants you employ are safe to work with vulnerable children. We will arrange and pay for them to follow the enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checking process.
If you are the parent/carer of a disabled child and you would like an assessment, please contact the Multi Agency Referral Unit (MARU) on 0300 1231 116.
Direct Payments Information Leaflets and Payments Policy
If your family already has a direct payment:
What is a Personal Budget?
Your child’s personal budget is the amount of money that the Council spends on their care. It may come from education, or social care.
The NHS is also making Personal Health Budgets available to anyone assessed as eligible for Children’s Continuing Care.
You can ask to receive your child’s personal budget in the form of a Direct Payment, but you do not have to. You could also arrange for a third party to manage it on your behalf, or leave the council to run it. Personal budgets are designed for children, young people and their families. Their purpose is to give choice, control, flexibility and independence. Families can use them to support the assessed needs of their disabled child or young person.
A personal budget can be used to access services from the different sources. This can include the Council, independent businesses, or voluntary sector organisations. You can mix and match, to best meet the needs of your child or young person.
Guide to Personal Budgets and Personal Budget Statements
Who can have a Personal Budget?
To be eligible to receive a personal budget, a child or young person
- must be assessed as requiring social care
- or have special educational needs
- must have an Education Health and Care Plan, or be working towards having one
- must live in Cornwall
What can a Personal Budget be used for?
A personal budget can be used for any provision or service that has been identified as a need in the child or young person’s care plan.
Your child or young person will have an assessment. After that, they need to develop a Person Centred Support Plan. They, you, and your family, can choose someone to help you develop this. Alternatively, you may choose to write a Support Plan yourself. Or you may prefer to work with a Support Brokerage organisation. We have a list of approved providers you can choose from.
The Person-Centred Support Plan sets out how you want to be supported and how you would like the personal budget to be used. Family and friends may be involved in this decision making if that would be of help.
Allocation of a personal budget will not affect any benefits that your child, young person or family is receiving. It is not classed as additional income.
Further information
Contact is a charity for families with disable children. Their website explains the difference between personal budgets and direct payments.