This report seeks approval to proceed with the next phase of delivering self-directed support to give more choice and control to people who use social care services. This phase includes the introduction of a Resource Allocation System (RAS) which is used to calculate the indicative amount for a personal budget.
Decision type: Key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Decision due: 12 Aug 2010 by Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Campuses, Area Boards and Broadband
Lead member: Cllr John Thomson john.thomson@wiltshire.gov.uk
Department: Department of Community Services
Contact: Sue Geary, Head of Service - Commissioning, Community Services 01225 713922 email: sue.geary@wiltshire.gov.uk sue.geary@wiltshire.gov.uk Tel: 01225 713922.
Consultation process
During 2009, the Council supported a pilot project, designed with current users of services, with 20 volunteer service users to help us understand how the new system of personal budgets can be made to work. This pilot has been evaluated by the University of Bath and the learning incorporated into the current proposals
Also, last year the Council tested a Resource Allocation System as a ‘desktop exercise’. This involved completing 200 assessment questionnaires for a sample of existing customers which generated scores. These scores are ‘translated’ into a financial sum by the Resource Allocation System into an indicative personal budget by taking the total current care costs for the sample and dividing it by the total number of points for the completed questionnaires. This then arrives at a ‘£ per point’ figure.
Officers are continuing to test how the national Common RAS works in Wiltshire with 200 existing service users over the next few months, and will model this information to enable this calculation for Wiltshire, again by taking the total current care costs for the sample of people and dividing it by the total number of points for the completed questionnaires to arrive at a ‘£ per point’ figure.
Since 2008, officers in Adult Social Care have worked with a SDS Reference Group which comprises of a group of customers who use direct payments or have piloted personal budgets. This group has contributed to the development work described within the supporting papers.