Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Adult Care Service

Policy and Procedures

PROCEDURE FOR CARERS PERSONAL BUDGETS 2012

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1Carers’Personal Budgets are an innovative and creative way to support carers to have a break. They enable carers to determine their own outcomes, have greater choice and control and have breaks services in personalised ways.

1.2Where a carer has a significant need for respite breaks the service users Resource Allocation System (RAS) process should be used to determine the respite allocation within their personal budget.

1.3Part of the rationale of carers’ personal budgets is to reduce abusive situations[1].

1.4If the cared for person is not in receipt of services or funding from Adult Social Care and Support Service, or, the carer has a large input into the service users package of care, as determined by the Carers Assessment (and evidenced in the service user’s RAS).

1.5It is now an expectation that carers accessing a Personal Budget should also be referred into The Carers’ Resource service. Where this is not followed the application will be deferred to the next panel, pending this being provided by the assessment worker.

  1. LEGISLATION

2.1The statutory framework for Adult Care Services as set by Central Government and generally defined by the Department of Health.

2.2 Relevant to: Putting People First,Independence, Wellbeing and Choice, Our Health Our Care Our Say.

2.3 Working Families Act 2006

2.4Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004

2.5Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000

2.6Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995

  1. ELIGIBILITY

3.1Carers are eligible for a Carers Personal Budgetif they -

  • are an unpaid carer
  • are a Rochdale resident or care for someone in the borough
  • are aged over 18 years (in exceptional cases 16 – 17 years old)
  • they have not already been approved for a Carers’Personal Budget within the same financial year
  • are not in receipt of any other breaks services

3.2Carers’ Personal Budgetsare a one-offto a maximum of £500 in any one financial year

3.3The Carers Personal Budget Panel deal with applications from across Adult Social Care Service.

3.4Applications should only be received where the carer has support needs and does not have a resource allocation from an assessment or where a family does not want formal support from Adult Social Care Services.

3.5Usually carers of adults with needs arising from mental health or learning disabilities will receive comprehensive care management support and their needs should be addressed through these specialist services.

  1. CARERS PERSONAL BUDGET PANEL AND CRITERIA

4.1The Carers Personal Budget Panel meet fortnightly at The Carers Resource Centre.

4.2The panel is made up of 3 representatives from Adult Social Care Service.

4.3The criteria has been set by the panel and approved bythe Senior Management Team.

4.4A Carers Personal Budget is designed to provide the carer with opportunities for a break and \ or to help alleviate some of the pressures that caring brings.

4.5The budget for carers personal budgets sits within the carers service and is intended to support the carer.

4.6Service users’ needs should be identified and assessed through their assessment and the RAS process.

4.7Carers Personal Budgets are not a hardship fund and cannot be used for

  • rent
  • debt
  • utility bills
  • domestic appliances which do not necessarily assist the carer in their caring role or enable them to have a break

4.8White goods may be more appropriately funded via other means and the assessment worker will, in the first instance be guided to applying to other sources of funding for such items. Only in exceptional circumstances will the Panel approve such items and it will need to be clearly demonstrated in the assessment how this will help the carer have a break and why other sources of funding have not been sought.

4.9A Carers Personal Budget cannot be used to purchase something that could bring the Council into disrepute.

4.10It cannot be used to purchase or pay for something retrospectively suchas a holiday already taken.

4.11It can be only awarded to a single caring unit or per cared for person. For example if two parents are caring for their disabled son or daughter they are only eligible for one payment between them. Likewise if a person cares for more than one person they will only be entitled to one payment.

4.12Carers cannot not be paid in their caring role eg through the service users personal budget.

4.13Carers needs for respite or a sitting service should, ordinarily be assessed through the service users assessment and RAS process. Only in exceptional circumstances will the Panel accept and approve such applications. For example if the carers or the service users eligible needs can be met with low level support via the carers personal budget.

4.14Funding decisions made by the Panel depend on the information presented to them in the appropriate assessment andapplication and how much funding is available. Where insufficient information is presented or the impact of caring is not clearly demonstrated the application will be returned seeking more detail before being re-submitted to the Panel. The assessment worker is acting as the advocate for the carer and must fully support the carer in the application or other support \ options should be explored. The assessment needs to identify the need and then how the application being made would meet that agreed need.

4.15Carers should be made aware that a Carers Personal Budget does not give automatic approval in each subsequent year. Carers Personal Budgets will be approved on an individual basis on assessed and eligible needs.

4.16The Panel expects the carer and the assessment worker to clearly specify the amount being applied for and provide accurate figures for the cost of item(s) being applied for. The Panel will not accept blanket £500 on applications and these will be returned to the worker requesting quotes and re-submission to Panel.

  1. EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

5.1Where the service user has had their respite needs taken into account in their RAS, the Panel would not expect to see a Carers Personal Budget application, unless in exceptional circumstances.

5.2In these circumstances the assessment worker needs to specify how what is being applied for will give support to the carer above and beyond the norm and demonstrate the additional benefits.

5.3Use normal line management arrangements to approve or decline these requests before presenting to Panel.

5.4The Panel has the discretion in these exceptional circumstances to approve or decline these requests and will record their rationale and decision to ensure consistency and audit requirements.

  1. APPLYING TO THE CARERS PERSONAL BUDGETS PANEL

6.1Carers Personal Budgets may be applied for in two ways:-

  1. directly through The Carers’ Resource
  1. through Adult Social Care Teams

The Carers’ Resource

6.2.For The Carers’ Resource staff where the carer is not linked into Adult Care Assessment Teams and the carer doesn’t want to go down this formal route.

6.3Staff will complete a Carer’s Assessment, Carers Personal Budget application form and the carer bank detail form and check eligibility with line manager. They will then forward the paperwork to the Panel for a decision.

Adult Social Care Team

6.4Assessment staff, with the carer will complete the Carer’s Assessment (recorded on Allis in the Carers record and printed off) the Carers Personal Budget Application form, the carers bank detail form and The Carers Resource referral form (available on Allis as a stand alone document which can be printed off).

6.5The Carers Assessment (needs to be typed) identifying what caring tasks the carer has, the impact of them on the carer and what needs the carer has. The assessment should demonstrate how the assessed eligible need will be met through a Carers Personal Budget. The worker checks eligibility with their line manager who will approve and sign it. A copy of the service user’s assessment should be forwarded with all the paperwork to the panel for a decision. .

  1. PANEL DECISIONS

7.1Assessment workers who have submitted applications will be notified directly of the Panels decision.

7.2The Panel take minutes of the meetings and these are circulated to Heads of Service to forward on to relevant staff.

7.3A carer will be informed as soon as practicable of the panel decision.

  1. NOTIFYING THE CARER

8.1The carer should be sent a copy of their Assessment along with a letter saying they have had a Carer’s Assessment and what the outcomehas been.

  1. PAYMENT OF CARERS PERSONAL BUDGETS AND RECEIPTS

9.1Carers approved for a Personal Budget will be notified by their

Assessment Worker and advised when are likely to receive the monies directly into their bank account.

9.2When the carer has been paid into their bank account the manager of The Carers’ Resource sends a declaration form to the carer to sign confirming they have received the monies and will use them as intended.

9.3A carer must keep receipts as proof ofexpenditure.

9.4Carers should be aware that they may be subject to audit checks.

9.5Carers should send the declaration to: -

The Operational Manager

The Carers’ Resource

Newbold Buildings

35 – 37 Oldham Road

Rochdale, OL16 5QJ

The Carers Personal Budget Panel need:-

  • A copy of the service user’s assessment if applicable (available on Allis in the service users record which can then be printed off)
  • the Carers Assessment (this should be recorded on Allis in the carer’s record and printed off – handwritten assessments will not be accepted)
  • the Carers Personal Budget application dated and signed by the carer, assessment worker and line manager (available in Allis as a stand alone document which can be printed off– this should be generated from the carers record NOT the service user)
  • the carers bank details form completed and signed by the carer (the carer will be paid by BACS transfer directly into their bank account).
  • Completed and signed referral to The Carers Resource Service

Please forward the above to either: -

The Carers’ Resource in person, internal post

For further information please contact either Julie Parrish, Carers Commissioning Manager on 01706 922783 \ 925808 or Sandra Montgomery, Operational Manager The Carers’ Resource on 01706 925815.

Version control V5

December 2013

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[1]For further information see the Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Guidelines:

and democracy/policies and plans/vulnerable adults – procedures.aspx