More Information about how Adult Social Care is Changing

Here you can find out more about

Who is eligible for ongoing support
What happens if you’re not eligible
The personal budget and the care and support plan
Staying safe
What happens if you care for someone who needs ongoing support

Who is eligible for ongoing support?

Anyone who is over 18 years old and meets our eligibility criteria. You can view the eligibility criteria by visiting the Adults and Older People page.

What happens if I’m not eligible?

Everyone who feels that they need care and support will be listened to and helped. If you’re not eligible you will be put in contact with other Council departments, the NHS, or local organisations so you get the right information and services for you.

At the moment we are working with the NHS, local people and local organisations. This is to make sure all care services are running together more effectively, and that information is easily available to help you make the right choices to improve your life.

You may prefer an organisation that is in a certain place or that understands your cultural needs. You may benefit from rehabilitation, therapy, or other services that are on offer in Hackney to improve your health and wellbeing. We can help organise this for you.

What happens if I need ongoing support?

If you are eligible for ongoing support you will be able to put together your own care and support plan, based on what you think will make your life better. You will be able to have your own personal budget to pay for these services.

But if this isn’t for you, you can choose to have your care organised for you as it is now. Or, you can also choose to have a mixed package where only some of the care and support is organised by you, the rest by us, or professionals from local organisations.

What is a personal budget?

It is money that you can use to buy services you think would improve the quality of your life.

What is a care and support plan?

Your care and support plan is all about you, your needs and what support you want to help you to live an independent life. It will cover things like:

What is important to you and what your aspirations are
What care and support is needed to improve your health and wellbeing and who will provide it for you
How long your care and support will last
How the Council will monitor and review your care and support plan, as well as the impact it makes in your life
How much the support will cost and how you can manage your personal budget

Your plan must be agreed to by the Council.

What will happen if my needs change or the support isn’t working?

We will to talk to you regularly about the plan to see if it is having a positive impact on your life. We call this a review. If the things you wish to achieve change, the support you receive may also change. At the review you can tell us if the support isn’t working. We will discuss with you what changes need to happen to help you.

Will there be care charges if I need ongoing support?

You may have a charge depending on the level of your income. We have a policy offairercharging forcommunitycareservices. You will be assessed for charges in line with Department of Health, Fairer Contributions Guidance. You will be told the amount you are likely to contribute before you put together your care and support plan.

How will I pay care charges?

If you choose to receive your personal budget as adirectpayment you will normally have the charge deducted from the payment. If you choose to have the Council arrange and pay for some or all of your services you will be sent a monthly statement of charges to pay.

How much will my personal budget be?

The amount of money will depend on how much care and support you need, and any care charges you need to pay. You will get an idea of the amount following your assessment.

Will I have to look after the budget on my own?

No. You can have help from friends, family, or professionals to make sure you get the care that is right for you.

How can I spend my personal budget?

You could spend your money in many ways. Things like:

Employing someone to help you. Maybe a friend or a family member. But you are not allowed to employ a family member if that person also lives with you
Buying services from an agency or organisation
Buying specialist equipment
Paying for training, leisure or social activities

There are some things the money cannot be spent on, like:

Paying someone who may place you at risk
Paying for services that will not help you get better or increase your quality of life
Paying for services that are not part of your support plan
Paying your household expenses like groceries and clothes
Anything illegal

Will I get more money than I would now?

No. There will be no new money available for you on top of what already exists. The changes are in the way the money is spent.

Will I get to keep the money if I don’t spend it?

No. The money should be spent in accordance with your care and support plan. Any not spent must be returned.

What if the money is being misspent?

We will be able to take the money back.

How will the Council know I’m spending it right?

Your care and support plan will outline how your money should be spent. We will review your progress and how you are spending the money by looking at your bills and returns.

Will my existing benefits be affected?

No. Benefits are not affected. Your personal budget is to pay for care and support that you need. It is not personal income and should not be declared for tax or benefit purposes as income.

I’m worried that I may become more vulnerable with all this choice. How will I stay safe?

Making sure you are safe is very important. As part of your care and support plan, we will look at anything that may put you at risk very closely, and will discuss with you the ways of reducing any risk.

If you feel that someone is taking advantage of you, you must speak to your care worker or the Council’s Adults Safeguarding Team. All information shared will be treated confidentially.

You can contact the Adults Safeguarding Team by calling 020 8356 5782 or emailing adultprotection@hackney.gov.uk

I care for someone. How will this affect me?

The assessment includes a question about carers. Any support from carers should be taken into account in the support plan, which will be reflected in the personal budget.

What can I expect?

As a carer, you have the right to an assessment and you can be involved in the assessment of the person you care for. Your views, ideas and wishes are important. You can expect to be given a choice about the timing, type, and amount of care you give.

If the person you care for is eligible for ongoing support and chooses to have a personal budget you can be involved in how they organise and spend their money.

To find out more about the services that are already on offer call the Carers’ Helpline on 020 8356 5054 (open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-1pm) or email carers@hackney.gov.uk

You can also be directly involved in the changes to adult social care by joining the Council’s Equal Partners in Care consultation group. Call 020 8356 2721 to join.

Page updated: 15 Jun 2010