the individual budgets pilot project

What Are Individual Budgets?
The Government has asked The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to take part in a pilot project to radically improve the amount of choice and control users and carers have in the way their needs are met. RBKC will be offering people a personal or Individual Budget based on a simple assessment of their needs.

Is the Pilot happening everywhere?
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is one of only thirteen sites nationally to be piloting Individual Budgets and the only Borough to be doing so in Central London. ADKC have been asked by the council to help, support and educate disabled people around Individual Budgets. We are excited to have this opportunity to further improve independence, choice and control to local disabled people.

What's different about Individual Budgets?
Individual Budgets offer a whole new way of supporting disabled people who need social care. It will put you at the centre of the process - helping you work out what you need, supporting you to plan how you want to meet your needs and to review what works best for you.

At its heart is the recognition that you are the person best placed to understand your needs and a commitment from Social Services to support you to take as much control as you want.

How do Individual Budgets Work?
Firstly, you will be involved in the assessment of your needs and told upfront how much money you are entitled to for the year.

Secondly, at ADKC we can help you to draw up a support plan - you can do this by yourself or with the help of family, friends, a social worker, or an independent support broker - to show how you intend to spend the money to meet your needs. We encourage you to be creative!

Thirdly, you live your life - with the services you have chosen that fit your needs and your lifestyle.

Who can apply for an Individual Budget?
Between now and the end of June 2007, all pilot sites have been asked to randomly select people to take part in the programme. Some people will be offered an Individual Budget straight away and others will be asked to share their experience with The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea about the services they use at the moment. The most anyone will have to wait for an Individual Budget is six months.

Who can benefit from Individual Budgets?
The Council and ADKC is committed for the duration of the pilot, to working with older people with physical disabilites and learning difficulties. For the period, the pilot is being evaluated for research purposes. The council cannot guarantee everyone an Individual Budget, but should be in a position to extend this option more widely from June 2007. At ADKC we are happy though to talk to any disabled person who is interested in an Individual Budget.

Will there be a lot of paperwork?
No! We recommend people to keep invoices and receipts and the council may ask you to fill in a simple form no more than every six months with help and support from us if you want. That's it! There will be help available if you need it, to ensure that your budget is working as hard as possible for you and that your needs are being met. There will also be regular reviews where your social worker can help you to ensure that things are working for you.

What Role will Action Disability Kensington and Chelsea have in the Individual Budgets pilot?
Our role is to promote, advise and publicise Individual Budgets to a wide range of possible users including people with physical & sensory impairments, people with leaning difficulties, , and older people, living in Kensington & Chelsea.

We also provide comprehensive and accurate information on the use of Individual Budgets and their advantages.

At ADKC we will provide eligible disabled and older people with training support and advice to enable them to set up schemes with particular attention to the following:

What an Individual Budget is?
Opportunities and Choices available to them.
Independent Living Planning.
Legal obligations required by the Health, Housing and Adult Social Care Business group of RBKC.
Managing their support package.
How to manage the Budget.
Ongoing support as required.

How can I find out more information or express my interest?
You can find out more about Individual Budgets by contacting:

Jas Johal, Independent Support Broker at Action Disability Kensington and Chelsea, on 020 890 8888 email: IBsupport@adkc.org or go to www.rbkc.gov.uk