Developing solutions for Personal Care Budgets

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Andrew Greenhalgh

Dear Bath & North East Somerset Council,

We are continuing to consult with Local Authorities across the UK in readiness for the next development stage of the popular BeMyCareBroker.com site - which delivers bespoke care solutions to service users, businesses and local & health authorities across the UK.

We'd be grateful if the lead of each department listed below could share their views on the changes to Social Care and how they are impacting on your Adult Social Services, Commissioning, Procurement and Finance departments.

Please find our questions below.

Yours faithfully,
Andrew Greenhalgh

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1. What is your role within the Adult Social Services, Procurement, Commissioning or Finance department?

2. How has the introduction of Individual Care Budgets (Personalisation) affected you/your role?

3. What were your initial thoughts about the changes to our Social Care system?

4. Have those opinions been altered or reinforced since that time and if so, how?

5. Describe how you now see your role in supporting the wider care community in your region.

6. What tools or facilities do you feel are crucial to have access to, to achieve this?

7. Should local authorities be less or more involved in assisting Service Users in finding and acquiring the care and support they need, how so and why?

8. Should local authorities be less or more involved in supporting carers, how so and why?

9. What information would you like to have regular access to, to fulfil your role or responsibilities and in what format(s)?

10. How could an online solution (Website) to Personalisation best serve you in your role?

11. How could an online solution to Personalisation best serve your local authority?

12. How could an off-line solution (EG. Telephone help line, drop-in centre etc.) to Personalisation best serve you in your role?

13. How could an off-line solution to Personalisation best serve your local authority?

14. What perceptions do you have about “Care Brokerage” and companies providing this service?

15. Is/has your local authority been involved in a Personalisation pilot scheme, and if so which solution did you/are you piloting?

16. When did/does the pilot begin/finish?

17. Is/was this a free pilot scheme and if not, how much did you pay?

18. Are you using or considering using a third party to implement a solution to self-directed support?
a. Yes (Go to question 19)
b. No (Go to question 22)

19. Which third party solution are you using?

20. What do you like and dislike about this solution?

21. Have you entered into an annual contract with this supplier?

22. What systems and processes have you introduced/adapted to deliver self-directed support?

23. What further changes, if any, are required to complete your transition to self-directed support?

24. If savings were to be made across any number of Social Services teams/departments within your local authority, which teams/departments would take priority?

25. In your opinion, who should pay to provide online support services to service users?
a. The Service User (Independently)
b. The Service User (Out of their approved individual care budget)
c. Local Authorities, and if so which department(s)?
d. Care providers (As commission on product sales / placement fees)
e. Other (please specify)

26. In your opinion, who should pay to provide care and support services to carers?
a. The Service User (Independently)
b. The Service User (Out of their approved individual care budget)
c. Local Authorities, and if so which department(s)?
d. Care providers (As commission on product sales / placement fees)
e. Other (please specify)

27. What, in your opinion, would be the perfect outcome to the Personalisation agenda?

28. Please list your top 3 priorities when considering your ideal solution to Individual Care Budgets
1.
2.
3.

29. What is your level of budget responsibility (Circle all that apply)?
a. I source and/or recommend suitable products services
b. I make purchases within a set budget
c. I set/agree the budget
d. I sign off the budget

30. Could you please tell us what percentage of Service Users in your district are self-funding, broken down by care type (MH, LD, PD, Older People)

Information Governance, Bath and North East Somerset Council

Dear Mr Greenhalgh,

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Thank you for your recent request for information regarding adult social care budgets. Your request is now being dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 a public authority has to respond within 20 working days.  Accordingly you will receive our full response in due course.

Yours sincerely

Annemarie Strong
Information Compliance Assistant
Risk and Assurance Services
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Telephone: 01225 396872
Facsimile: 01225 477387
www.bathnes.gov.uk
 
Making Bath & North East Somerset an even better place to live, work and visit.
 
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

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Annemarie Strong, Bath and North East Somerset Council

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Greenhalgh,

Thank you for your recent request for information. Please find enclosed the information you are entitled to receive under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 .

I trust that we have answered your queries, however if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you are unhappy with the response to your request, you may ask for an internal review. Please contact the Council’s Head of Audit, Risk and Information, Mr Jeff Wring at the Guildhall, High St, Bath BA1 5AW mailto:[email address].

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to appeal directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.

Please note that we have not, by way of this disclosure, granted any permission for you to reuse or further publish the information disclosed to you.  Please refer to the attached disclaimer regarding reuse. 

Yours sincerely

Annemarie Strong
Information Governance Assistant
Information Governance
Risk and Assurance Services
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Telephone: 01225 396872
Facsimile: 01225 477387
www.bathnes.gov.uk
 
Making Bath & North East Somerset an even better place to live, work and visit.
 
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

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Andrew Greenhalgh

Dear Annemarie Strong,

Thank you for your response. I have clarified our questions (below). I trust this helps you to answer them as was intended.

Yours sincerely,
Andrew Greenhalgh

1. What is your role within the Adult Social Services, Procurement,
Commissioning or Finance department?



2. What recorded changes to the roles of members of Adult Social Services, Procurement, Commissioning and Finance departments have been due to the introduction of Individual Care Budgets
(Personalisation)?

3. What reports were submitted by your local authority on the changes to our Social
Care system and how they may impact your area?



4. Have those reports been altered or reinforced since that time
and if so, how?



5. What is your local authorities official role now in supporting the wider care
community in your region and has this been published as a mission statement or statement of intent?

6. What tools or facilities has your local authority identified as being crucial in achieving the above?



7. Has your local authority decided to become less or more involved in assisting
Service Users in finding and acquiring the care and support they
need, how so and why?

8. Has your local authority decided to be less or more involved in supporting
carers, how so and why?



9. What information do Adult Social Services regularly access to
fulfil their role / responsibilities and in what format(s)?



10. Is/has your local authority been involved in a Personalisation
pilot scheme, and if so which solution did you/are you piloting?



11. When did/does the pilot begin/finish?



12. Is/was this a free pilot scheme and if not, how much did you
pay?



13. Are you using or considering using a third party to implement a
solution to self-directed support?

a. Yes (Go to question 14)
b. No (Go to question 17)



14. Which third party solution was the contract awarded to?



15. What flaws and strengths have been recorded about this solution?


16. Have you entered into an annual contract with this supplier?



17. What systems and processes have you introduced/adapted to
deliver self-directed support?



18. What further changes, if any, are required to complete your
transition to self-directed support?



19. If savings are being made across any number of Social Services
teams/departments within your local authority, which
teams/departments are they?



20. What agreed outcomes have been set by your local authority in respect to the
Personalisation agenda?
Have these goals been published?


21. What percentage of Service Users in
your district are self-funding, broken down by care type (MH, LD,
PD, Older People)

Information Governance, Bath and North East Somerset Council

Dear Mr Greenhalgh,

Thank you for your email, below, however this would be considered a new request and as such, if you would like me to, I will log the request and obtain the information that is available within the usual 20 working days.

Please advise me if you would like this logged as a new request

Kind regards

Annemarie Strong
Information Governance Assistant
Information Governance
Risk and Assurance Services
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Telephone: 01225 396872
Facsimile: 01225 477387
www.bathnes.gov.uk
 
Making Bath & North East Somerset an even better place to live, work and visit.
 
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

show quoted sections

Information Governance, Bath and North East Somerset Council

Dear Mr Greenhalgh,

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Thank you for your recent request for information regarding personal care budgets. Your request is now being dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I trust you received the email I sent to you yesterday, I have gone ahead and processed this as a new request.

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 a public authority has to respond within 20 working days.  Accordingly you will receive our full response in due course.

Yours sincerely

Annemarie Strong
Information Compliance Assistant
Risk and Assurance Services
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Telephone: 01225 396872
Facsimile: 01225 477387
www.bathnes.gov.uk
 
Making Bath & North East Somerset an even better place to live, work and visit.
 
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

show quoted sections

Annemarie Strong, Bath and North East Somerset Council

7 Attachments

Dear Mr Greenhalgh

Thank you for your recent request for information. Please find enclosed the information you are entitled to receive under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I trust that we have answered your queries, however if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you are unhappy with the response to your request, you may ask for an internal review. Please contact the Council’s Head of Audit, Risk and Information, Mr Jeff Wring at the Guildhall, High St, Bath BA1 5AW mailto:[email address].

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to appeal directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.

Please note that we have not, by way of this disclosure, granted any permission for you to reuse or further publish the information disclosed to you.  Please refer to the attached disclaimer regarding reuse. 

Yours sincerely

Annemarie Strong
Information Governance Assistant
Information Governance
Risk and Assurance Services
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Telephone: 01225 396872
Facsimile: 01225 477387
www.bathnes.gov.uk
 
Making Bath & North East Somerset an even better place to live, work and visit.
 
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

show quoted sections