Self-Directed Support (SDS)

Grace MacDonald, SDS Project Manager, Fife Council

Scottish Head Injury Forum : Money Matters7th September 2012, Perth.

Outline

What is SDS? Brief Overview Dispelling Myths

Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Bill Overview Timescales

Opportunities and Challenges

Questions/Discussion Session

What is SDS? Process through which individuals eligible for social care

offered more choice and control over care and support they receive.

Principles: Starts with the individual as a person considering their

strengths, needs and goals.

Recognises that individual is best placed to know what they need and how those needs can be best met.

With support and advice, individuals can make their own decisions about what they require to meet their needs and to achieve their goals.

Available to all , imposed on none”

The Bigger Picture

SDS principles and Bill links to: Wider social care and health policies including

e.g. Reshaping Care, Health and Social Care Integration, Christie Commission, Carers and Young Carers Strategies, NHS Quality Strategy.

Development of Direct Payments, National SDS Strategy (2010), Local authority and health SDS test sites.

What SDS is Not

Privatisation

A way of removing professional input

A new welfare benefit

Guaranteed savings for local authorities

Social Care (Self-directed Support) Scotland Bill – Timescales

Draft Bill introduced to Scottish Parliament on 29.2.12.

Stage 1 Consultation Report Published Summer 2012

Bill likely to be passed in 2013.

Timescales for Implementation- late 2013/early 2014?

Sets out 4 options for individuals eligible for social care.

SDS Framework

The local authority has to assess an individual’s care needs. This will not change.

Must involve person and focus on outcomes for individuals. If eligible, the Local Authority must give individuals :

accessible information and support so they are able to choose the best option for them.

different choices to meet their care and support needs : 4 options.

Option 1 – Direct Payment

The local authority will decide how much money can be spent on individual’s support.

Individual take money and arranges own support e.g. employs care staff, buys a service from a care organisation.

Most choice and control but also most responsibility.

Option 2 – Individual Decides and the Local Authority Arranges Support

The local authority will decide how much money can be spent on individual’s support.

Individual chooses a care organisation to provide support and the local authority will arrange it.

Individual has choice and control but less responsibility for arranging things.

Option 3 – After talking to Individual, the Local Authority Decides and Arranges Support

The local authority will decide how much money can be spent on individual’s support.

Local authority arranges support for individual.

Least responsibility but less choice and control.

Option 4 –Individual Uses Mix of Options to Arrange Care and Support.

Some people will want to control some parts of their care and support but not other parts.

Option 4 lets individual pick the parts they want to decide about and what parts they want to leave to the local authority.

Can be mix of Options 1, 2 and 3.

Cross Cutting Themes of SDS Bill

Collaborative working

Review

Access to information, advice and support

SDS for all ages and for carers.

SDS Bill and Health New duties at present primarily for local authorities.

In exceptions where social care functions delegated to health authority, SDS duties to be transferred to health.

Strong encouragement for health and local authorities to work in partnership in line with SDS principles.

Encourage greater uptake of Direct Payments for health and social care.

Integration agenda and feedback from NHS test sites.

Challenges Changing cultures e.g. move away from professional needs

assessment to person centred outcomes focussed assessment and support.

Staff time.

New systems and procedures e.g. financial, legal – avoiding bureaucracy.

Information provision – need for accessible, independent and consistent information.

Being responsive to changing circumstances with individuals.

Meeting increasing need with declining resources……

Opportunities More choice and control for individuals.

Stronger and more holistic partnership working around individuals with health and social care needs.

Mechanism to assist other agendas e.g. personalisation, quality management.

More responsive, timely and person focussed support.

Greater creativity: new ways of doing things better.

Last but not least …. A better quality of life for individuals receiving care.

Useful Sources of Information on SDS

www.selfdirectedsupportscotland.org.uk This is the Scottish Government’s one-stop-shop for information about Self-Directed Support for people who use social care services and health and social care professionals.

https://knowledgehub.local.gov.uk/web/khub If you work in the health and

social care sector, join the SDS Group on the Knowledge Hub and share practice and learning with your colleagues across Scotland.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/48001.aspx For copies of the Bill, associated consultation reports information and timescales/stages for implementation.

Grace MacDonald, SDS Project Manager, Fife Council, Social Work Service: 

Tel: 08451 555555 Ext 460708 Mob: 07515 289991 Email: grace.macdonald@fife.gov.uk