Self-directed Support : my support, my choice: your guide to social care

Choosing from the 4 options

After you have:

• been assessed as needing support ✔
• had a conversation with your social worker about what matters to you in your life ✔
• had a conversation with your social worker about what kind of support you might want ✔
• been given a budget for your support ✔

the professional working with you will offer you a choice of options of how you want to get your support.

Children

If a child is aged under 16, then their parent or guardian will make decisions about the child's support.

Children must be involved in deciding what happens as much as possible. The local council must give the child information about the options for self-directed support in a way that they will understand.

What are the four options?

This part of the guide tells you what each of these options are. The professional working with you will tell you more about each of the options and how they apply to you.

1 "I get the money to spend on support I choose"

This is usually called a direct payment. The council pay money directly to you and you arrange your own support by employing care staff or buying services from one or more organisations.

2 "I tell the council how to spend the money"

The council or an organisation of your choice holds the money but you are in charge of how it is spent.

3 "I let the council decide how to spend the money"

You ask your council to choose and arrange the support that it thinks is right for you.

4 "A mix of options 1, 2 and 3"

Option 4 lets you choose a mix of these options for different types of support.

Helpful hints

The law says that the council must give you all the help you need to understand all the choices and to be able to decide what choice to make.

Making decisions

Some people find it hard to make decisions on their own but can do this with some help.

The professional must decide if someone needs some help with making decisions. If they do, the professional must try and find someone who can help the person. People who can help include friends and relatives or a circle of support.

The supported person must agree that they need and want this extra help with decisions before anyone is asked to help.

Telling others about decisions

Some people find it hard to communicate with others due to a disability or language problem.

They can make decisions but may need some help to tell others. They may need help from an interpreter or a speech therapist or someone they know.

If a supported person needs help to tell others about decisions, the professional must try and find someone who can help the person.

The supported person must agree that they need and want this extra help with decisions before anyone is asked to help.

Advice and Information

• remember you can ask your family members or a friend to help you at this stage
• you can also get support from a local support organisation. Find your local support organisation at: http://www.sdsinfo.org.uk/
• could an independent advocate help you to have a stronger voice? Find an advocate in your area: http://www.siaa.org.uk/find-advocate/