Self-Directed Support

Self-Directed support options

Your support can be managed in four different ways.  Some elements of your plan for support might lend themselves more to one option than others, but the social worker helping you through this process will discuss this with you in more detail.

Option 1

Direct Payment - the Council transfers the money to you so you can arrange support for yourself, to buy the care you need from directly from an agency of your choice or employ your own staff to support. This gives you the greatest level of control but you must keep a record of how the money is spent. 

Option 2

If you are not confident about directly managing your support, then the council can help. You will still choose what support you want and how it will be provided, but the Council will manage it for you.  This option is mainly designed to be an alternative to direct payments (Option 1) without the need for the supported person to take on responsibility for the financial administration and the organisation of their support.

Option 3

You can ask for your support to be arranged for you by the Council, and provided either directly by Council staff or by someone else on behalf of the Council.

Option 4

This is a combination of the other options and allows you to let the Council manage some parts of your support package, while giving you direct control of some elements of your support. The money to fund the parts of your support which you will manage will be paid into a bank account in the same way as described in the Direct Payments option.