Needs assessment
Personal budgets are provided when you have been assessed as needing social care services and you are not in a position to fund all of your care yourself.
The level of need that makes you eligible for care and support is decided nationally, so your eligibility won't change if you move to or from somewhere else in England.
To be assessed, you must first be referred to the Council, which may be by self-referral, a referral from a carer, friend or family member, or from a professional such as your GP, with your permission.
Once we are aware that you may have needs, we have a duty to carry out an assessment.
Click here for more details about the needs assessment
Means test
If the needs assessment has shown that you are eligible for care and support, the Council will then carry out a financial assessment or means test, which will establish how much you should contribute towards the cost of providing services to meet your assessed needs.
Click here for further details of the means test.
Care and support plan
We will then work with you or your representative to create a plan that addresses the care and support requirements highlighted by your needs assessment.
The care and support plan will outline a package of services that is tailored to your own personal needs and preferences.
Click here to find out more about care and support planning.
If you have a friend or family member who acts as a carer for you, their needs and opinions will also be reflected in your plan, though carers are also entitled to a separate assessment of their needs.
Click here to find out more about carers' assessments.
If you are in a financial position to pay for all of your care, you can still have the help of our expertise to create a care and support plan that will best provide for your needs. In this situation we will ask you for a one-off fee of £250.
Calculating your personal budget
The cost of the package of services in your care and support plan is then worked out so that we can calculate how much your personal budget will be.
The process for doing this is known as a 'resource allocation system' or RAS. It apportions a monetary value to each element of the care and support outlined in your plan.
The Council's contribution to your personal budget will also depend on the outcome of your means test.
Direct payments
Direct payments If it is convenient for you, you can apply to us to receive direct payments. This means that we will arrange to pay our contribution to your personal budget directly into your bank account, which gives you greater control over how you choose and buy the care services you use.
Click here for more information on direct payments.
