Closurse of Independent Living Fund

The request was partially successful.

Dear Cheshire West and Chester Council,
Following the new decision by the Government to close the ILF
(Independent Living Fund) on June 30th 2015 and devolve funding to
Local Authorities, please could you answer the following
questions.

1: Will monies transferred from the closure of the ILF to your
local authority be ring fenced to ILF recipients in your area? If
no decision has yet been taken, what is the process and timescale
for this happening?

2: Please could you state the process and timescale for meeting
with current ILF recipients to prepare personal care plans for 1st
July 2015 onwards (bearing in mind the assessments at the Transfer
Review visits only indicate desired outcomes and do not produce an
actual care package).

3: Will you be making any special dispensation for allowing ILF
users to continue to employ their current & in many cases long
standing carers of many years, bearing in mind some may be paid a
higher rate than what LA's may usually advise and be family
members
too?

Many Thanks.

Yours faithfully,

Paul Taylforth

Cheshire West and Chester Council

RE: Your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

Case Reference: 101002317904

Dear Mr Taylforth

Thank you for your email.

It will be treated as a request within the meaning of the Act: this means that we will send you a full response within 20 working days, either supplying you with the information which you want, or explaining to you why we cannot supply it.

If we need any further clarification or there is any problem we will be in touch.

In the meantime if you wish to discuss this further please contact FOI West. It would be helpful if you could quote the log number.

Yours sincerely

Nicole Owen
Solutions Team

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Dear Cheshire West and Chester Council,

Please can you chase up my request thanks.

Yours faithfully,

Paul Taylforth

FOI West, Cheshire West and Chester Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Taylforth

 

Thank you for your request for information of 9 September 2014 which has
been logged as 2317904.

 

Please be advised that the FOIA provides the general right of access to
information held (i.e. recorded) by a public authority, it does not oblige
public authorities to answer a question unless recorded information
exists.  Therefore your questions are not considered to be a valid request
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as not all of the information
requested is held.  The Council has instead treated your questions as a
routine business enquiry and I am able to provide you with the following
information.

 

1: Will monies transferred from the closure of the ILF to your local
authority be ring fenced to ILF recipients in your area? If no decision
has yet been taken, what is the process and timescale for this happening?

 

The question of whether or not this transfer is to be ring-fenced to
social care will be determined by Members when we understand more clearly
the mechanism for the transfer and the actual amount. Consequently no
recorded information is held at this time.

 

We are informed by the ILF that the value of the ILF Cheshire west and
Chester recipients receive on March 31^st 2015, will be transferred to the
Council, minus 9%. The 9% reduction is based on an ILF estimate that each
year, approximately 9% of the ILF population decreases. Last year, ILF
recipients in the Cheshire West and Chester area received £1,773,604. So
we cannot be precise on this matter until 2015.

 

2: Please could you state the process and timescale for meeting with
current ILF recipients to prepare personal care plans for 1^st July 2015
onwards (bearing in mind the assessments at the Transfer

Review visits only indicate desired outcomes and do not produce an  actual
care package).

 

The Cheshire Centre for Independent Living (CCIL) is contracted with the
Council to provide support, advice and advocacy to people with
disabilities. So customers should be able to access their support at the
time of their review with the ILF and subsequent reviews.   CCIL is not
the only organisation that provides this type of support and they are
listed in the attached advice sheet. The Council has met with 3^rd sector
representatives about the ILF transfer as the 3^rd sector is an important
conduit of information and advice to people with disabilities.

 

3: Will you be making any special dispensation for allowing ILF users to
continue to employ their current & in many cases long standing carers of
many years, bearing in mind some may be paid a

higher rate than what LA's may usually advise and be family members

 

With regards to special dispensation for users to continue to employ their
chosen carers no decision has been reached.

 

Please also find attached a frequently asked questions document provided
to customers who enquire about the ILF which you may find helpful.  If
you wish to discuss this matter further please contact Keith Evans, Senior
Manager, on telephone: 01244 972990 or
[1][email address].

 

I trust this answers your enquiry.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Ruth Winson

Solutions Team

Cheshire West and Chester Council

 

 

 

 

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