Warwickshire County Council not only understand that Direct Payments are a legal requirement but proactively promote Direct Payments and personal budgets. Direct Payments are available to people with an assessed need, this can include:

• People aged 16 years and over
• Carers aged 16 years and over who are caring for disabled people aged 18 years and over
• Parents or guardians of disabled children

For more information please go to Warwickshire County Councils Direct Payments link.

If you have not had an assessment or if you are receiving a service and would like Direct Payments instead please contact the Customer Service Centre on 01926 410410.

Direct Payments Information Factsheets

WCC Direct Payments DVD

Keeping Safe and Using Direct Payments

WCC Personal Budgets

Common Resource allocation framework

Introducing the Warwickshire CAF project

Paying for long term care in Warwickshire

Direct Payments Information Factsheets

Warwickshire County Council has developed a series of information factsheets to assist customers when using Direct Payments. These factsheets have been recognised as good practice and many other local authorities are adopting the style for delivering information.

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WCC Direct Payments DVD

Customer, carers and practitioners have been involved in producing a Direct Payments DVD. The DVD has a number of customers talking about their experience of using Direct Payments. Practitioners talk about their experience of promoting Direct Payments. Facilitation scripts have been developed to assist trainers when using the DVD to increase the awareness and knowledge of Direct Payments across all sectors. These will be available shortly via Warwickshire County Council.

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Keeping Safe and Using Direct Payments

The ‘Using Direct Payments and Keeping Safe' plan has been developed and implemented across all operational team. The plan enables customers to establish what they can do for themselves to keep safe when using Direct Payments and what others can do to help. The plan covers: consent and permissions to share information; managing the Direct Payments account; using Direct Payments; being a responsible employer; self employed staff; training and what to do if things go wrong. The Keeping Safe plan also covers information about recognising abuse and neglect and where to get advice and help if required. Initially, the keeping safe plan will be used for all new customers of Direct Payments; however it will also be used at review for existing customers.

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WCC Personal Budgets

Warwickshire County Council AH&CS is strongly committed to the clear vision of Putting People First and has adopted a clear project management approach to develop and deliver personal budgets to customers in Warwickshire. Currently there is a demonstrator site implementing and delivering self directed support as a personal budget to customers accessing older people and physical disability services in Rugby. Customers and carers have and are engaged in co production of the development of new tools such as a self assessment questionnaire and support plan. Following evaluation and refinement of the tools self directed support will be rolled out to teams across Warwickshire during 2010.

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Common Resource allocation framework

Warwickshire have been actively engaged in the national working group to produce framework for the allocation of social care resources. ADASS commissioned the work to explore the potential of a common resource framework. Council staff across England worked with disabled people and family members to produce a guide, which is available at the ADASS website.

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Introducing the Warwickshire CAF project

The Warwickshire Common Assessment Framework (CAF) project is looking to radically change the way health and social care work together by the innovative use of technology. Warwickshire has been chosen as one of nine demonstrator sites around the country to look at ways of integrating health and social care. This is a three year project sponsored by the Department of Health's Putting People First Team. The CAF project will be working with a number of health and social care teams. Mobile and web based technology will be used to build improved information sharing and efficient service provision around a combined health and social care record held by the Customer.
Subsequent stages of the project include looking at ways in which Providers could access and link into the customer record to improve communication and the range of services on offer as part of a personalised approach to providing support to the people who need it.

Paying for long term care in Warwickshire

Are you paying for long term care in Warwickshire? Below are three sources that will provide you with more information:

1. Paying for long term care in England

2. Letter from Jeff Jerome, National Director for social care transformation, regarding paying for care and support: Improving access to trusted information and independent financial advice in relation to care costs

3. Independent Ageing: Council support for care and self-funders

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