Direct Payments Overview

Aims:

This one day programme aims to give delegates the opportunity to examine the role of Direct Payments under the Care Act and their place in facilitating outcomes for people with eligible needs. It will consider their background and why the Care Act enables their implementation in contrast to former legislation which often stood in the way of creativity. It will examine the statutory guidance for their use and the ways in which they can change lives.

Objectives:

This will be achieved via:

• Considering the back story to Direct Payments from The IBSEN project of 1994, the Direct Payments Act 1996 and their evolution through the last 30 years.
• Reflect upon why there were obstacles to creativity through Personalisation pre-dating the Care Act and the role of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Person’s Act 1970 in those barriers.
• Reflection on how Outcomes to Wellbeing are identified and consideration via section 8 of the Care Act which outlines how we can meet need.
• Examination of the guidance under the Care Act for the use of Direct Payments and creative opportunities they can give people.
• Exploring how Direct payments can be reviewed to ensure that they are meeting need and a consideration of the means for supporting people to use them.

Outcomes:

By the end of the session, workers will have had the opportunity to examine the role of Direct Payments in supporting people to achieve outcomes identified in a Care Act Assessment. They will have been able to explore the regulations governing the use and review of direct payments and the extent of the creativity they can afford people to support their wellbeing.