Direct payments and personal budgets

The request was partially successful.

Dear West Sussex County Council,

1. Please provide a copy of your policy regarding the trialling of SEN Direct Payments and personal budgets.

2. Please confirm whether all parents/carers issued with a new or amended statement since January 2012 have been informed about their right to apply for a Direct Payment for SEN provision under the Special Educational Needs (Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) Order 2012. How has this information been provided? Please provide a copy of any standard leaflet or letter issued together with confirmation of date of issue.

3. Please confirm the number of parents/carers who are receiving SEN Direct Payments and what those Direct Payments relate to.

4. Please confirm whether any of these SEN Direct Payments could be provided outside the Pathfinder project, e.g. payments under Part 6 of a statement for transport.

5. Please provide a copy of your policy for considering requests for direct payments for SEN provision. If you do not have a policy, please confirm whether there are any limits placed on direct payments applications, e.g. they will not be provided if the LA has a block contract or there is a financial limit. Please confirm whether these criteria are communicated to parents and provide a copy of that document .

6. Please confirm your arrangements for reviewing appeals against a refusal of a request for SEN Direct Payments. Please provide a copy of any policy and any leaflet/letter issued to parents explaining this.

7. Please confirm what information is provided to parents/carers about the trialling of personal budgets. Please provide a copy of any leaflet or letter issued.

8. Please confirm how many parents/carers are receiving a personal budget within the auspices of the Pathfinder project?

9. Please confirm how parents/carers in receipt of SEN Direct Payments/ personal budgets obtained the information to make an application. For example, were they:

(a) sent the information with a new or amended statement
(b) recruited as part of a specific pilot
(c) neither (a )or (b), the family approached the LA having heard about SEN Direct Payments/personal budgets from other sources

10. Please provide a copy of your local offer.

Measure Up!

Freedom of Information Act,

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

Thank you for your enquiry, which has been forwarded to the appropriate
officers for a response.

 

Please note that following a decision by the Cabinet at a meeting on 4th
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transparency and open data.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Dave Loveman

Customer Relations Team Manager

 

[1]Freedom Of Information |  [2]West Sussex County Council | Location:
County Hall, Chichester PO19 1RQ
E-mail: [3][email address]

 

 

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LRNG FOI,

1 Attachment

 

 

Further to the recent FOI enquiry, please find the LA Authority response
attached.

 

Sue Bryan

 

 

Right of Appeal

 

West Sussex County Council provides you the right to request a review of
this response under its complaints procedure. If you decide to request a
review and are not satisfied with the outcome you then have the right to
direct your comments to the Information Commissioner who will give it
consideration. The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: Measure Up! [1][mailto:[FOI #167906 email]]
Sent: 06 July 2013 22:41
To: Freedom of Information Act
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Direct payments and personal
budgets

 

Dear West Sussex County Council,

 

1. Please provide a copy of your policy regarding the trialling of SEN
Direct Payments and personal budgets.

 

2. Please confirm whether all parents/carers issued with a new or amended
statement since January 2012 have been informed about their right to apply
for a Direct Payment for SEN provision under the Special Educational Needs
(Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) Order 2012. How has this information been
provided? Please provide a copy of any standard leaflet or letter issued
together with confirmation of date of issue.

 

3. Please confirm the number of parents/carers who are receiving SEN
Direct Payments and what those Direct Payments relate to.

 

4. Please confirm whether any of these SEN Direct Payments could be
provided outside the Pathfinder project, e.g. payments under Part 6 of a
statement for transport.

 

5. Please provide a copy of your policy for considering requests for
direct payments for SEN provision. If you do not have a policy, please
confirm whether there are any limits placed on direct payments
applications, e.g. they will not be provided if the LA has a block
contract or there is a financial limit. Please confirm whether these
criteria are communicated to parents and provide a copy of that document .

 

6. Please confirm your arrangements for reviewing appeals against a
refusal of a request for SEN Direct Payments. Please provide a copy of any
policy and any leaflet/letter issued to parents explaining this.

 

7. Please confirm what information is provided to parents/carers about the
trialling of personal budgets. Please provide a copy of any leaflet or
letter issued.

 

8. Please confirm how many parents/carers are receiving a personal budget
within the auspices of the Pathfinder project?

 

9. Please confirm how parents/carers in receipt of SEN Direct Payments/
personal budgets obtained the information to make an application. For
example, were they:

 

(a) sent the information with a new or amended statement

(b) recruited as part of a specific pilot

(c) neither (a )or (b), the family approached the LA having heard about
SEN Direct Payments/personal budgets from other sources

 

10. Please provide a copy of your local offer.

 

Measure Up!

 

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