Idea one: Provide different options for how care and support are funded

Share Idea one: Provide different options for how care and support are funded on Facebook Share Idea one: Provide different options for how care and support are funded on Twitter Share Idea one: Provide different options for how care and support are funded on Linkedin Email Idea one: Provide different options for how care and support are funded link

The Council wants to offer people different ways to use the budget that has been allocated to them by the Council for their care and support needs to pay for their day services.

Under the Care Act, the Council has a duty to provide people with choice and control about how they access care and support, through arranging services on people's behalf, or with a personalised budget. Most people currently choose to receive day services that the Council arranges on their behalf, through Vivo Care Choices or other organisations, such as 1st Enable, Pettypool or Live! Cheshire. These services are arranged by a Social Care Assessor.

To increase choice and control, the Council can also offer a personalised budget, which is a set amount of money a person who is eligible can use to arrange their care. Personalised budgets are also known as a Direct Payment or an Individual Service Fund. This method of paying for services gives people an understanding of how much money they have allocated to spend on their care and support, and more choice in how to use that money to meet their care and support needs. A personalised budget can be used with most providers that the Council commissions (or ‘buys in’) to provide services. The only exception is that Vivo Care Choices can’t be accessed through a personalised budget as it is an in-house service provider, and the Care Act doesn’t allow the Council to pay itself for services. Care and support through Vivo Care Choices would have to continue to be arranged and paid for by the Council on an individual's behalf.

We are proposing that people would be encouraged to choose between the following funding options to pay for their day services:

  1. An Individual Service Fund – an individual budget would be paid by the Council to a provider. The provider can then use the budget to deliver day services themselves or purchase activities from other providers on an individual’s behalf.
  2. Direct Payment – the budget is paid by the Council to the individual. The individual can choose their activities and pay for them using this budget.
  3. The Council would continue to arrange and pay for services on an individual’s behalf.

By choosing a personalised budget, a whole range of community-based options will be made available to people to meet their needs. People could have their needs met flexibly, from a variety of different providers and people, suiting their needs and circumstances. This option means that people who currently receive a day service from Vivo, will receive it from a different provider and different staff. Any changes to current day service support will be consulted on an individual basis with a social work practitioner or trusted assessor for those affected.

We have provided an example to help explain what this idea would mean to people using day services. This example is not based on a real person, it is only provided to help illustrate this idea.

What happens currently for people who use our services

The Council arranges and pays for day services on Emma’s behalf with Vivo Care Choices or another provider. Emma has no control over how her allocated money is spent and this limits her ability to choose activities outside of the current model.

What this would look like in the future for people who use our services

Emma would be able to choose how she pays for day services, leading to more choice and control over the services she receives. She would be able to have access to how much money is available based on her assessed need and create a schedule of activities that she is interested in.

Emma could use an individual service fund or receive a Direct Payment to arrange and pay for the services she chooses, or the Council could continue to arrange and pay for services on her behalf, to suit Emma.


The Council wants to offer people different ways to use the budget that has been allocated to them by the Council for their care and support needs to pay for their day services.

Under the Care Act, the Council has a duty to provide people with choice and control about how they access care and support, through arranging services on people's behalf, or with a personalised budget. Most people currently choose to receive day services that the Council arranges on their behalf, through Vivo Care Choices or other organisations, such as 1st Enable, Pettypool or Live! Cheshire. These services are arranged by a Social Care Assessor.

To increase choice and control, the Council can also offer a personalised budget, which is a set amount of money a person who is eligible can use to arrange their care. Personalised budgets are also known as a Direct Payment or an Individual Service Fund. This method of paying for services gives people an understanding of how much money they have allocated to spend on their care and support, and more choice in how to use that money to meet their care and support needs. A personalised budget can be used with most providers that the Council commissions (or ‘buys in’) to provide services. The only exception is that Vivo Care Choices can’t be accessed through a personalised budget as it is an in-house service provider, and the Care Act doesn’t allow the Council to pay itself for services. Care and support through Vivo Care Choices would have to continue to be arranged and paid for by the Council on an individual's behalf.

We are proposing that people would be encouraged to choose between the following funding options to pay for their day services:

  1. An Individual Service Fund – an individual budget would be paid by the Council to a provider. The provider can then use the budget to deliver day services themselves or purchase activities from other providers on an individual’s behalf.
  2. Direct Payment – the budget is paid by the Council to the individual. The individual can choose their activities and pay for them using this budget.
  3. The Council would continue to arrange and pay for services on an individual’s behalf.

By choosing a personalised budget, a whole range of community-based options will be made available to people to meet their needs. People could have their needs met flexibly, from a variety of different providers and people, suiting their needs and circumstances. This option means that people who currently receive a day service from Vivo, will receive it from a different provider and different staff. Any changes to current day service support will be consulted on an individual basis with a social work practitioner or trusted assessor for those affected.

We have provided an example to help explain what this idea would mean to people using day services. This example is not based on a real person, it is only provided to help illustrate this idea.

What happens currently for people who use our services

The Council arranges and pays for day services on Emma’s behalf with Vivo Care Choices or another provider. Emma has no control over how her allocated money is spent and this limits her ability to choose activities outside of the current model.

What this would look like in the future for people who use our services

Emma would be able to choose how she pays for day services, leading to more choice and control over the services she receives. She would be able to have access to how much money is available based on her assessed need and create a schedule of activities that she is interested in.

Emma could use an individual service fund or receive a Direct Payment to arrange and pay for the services she chooses, or the Council could continue to arrange and pay for services on her behalf, to suit Emma.