Developing solutions for Personal Care Budgets

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Andrew Greenhalgh

Dear Sandwell Borough 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)

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Thank you for contacting Sandwell Council.

Your request has been passed to the relevant service area, who will contact you shortly.

Please quote your reference number INT1-139496387 on all future correspondence.

Regards

Corporate Contact Centre
Customer Services
Transform Sandwell

www.sandwell.gov.uk

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Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

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Please find attached a letter from Sandwell Council in response to your recent contact.

This letter will advise you of the timescales for response and will provide our contact details should you need to get in touch.

If you cannot open the attachment please download the FREE adobe reader that can be found at www.adobe.com
Please do not reply to this e-mail but instead use the contact details found in the letter.

David Stevens, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

1 Attachment

Freedom of Information request - Developing solutions for Personal Care
Budgets

Dear Mr. Greenhalgh,

I am writing in response to the Freedom of Information request submitted
on 4 May 2011.

We are obliged under FOI to provide recorded information that we hold and
not to provide opinions or give a general impression of what might improve
something. Taking this into account I will only be responding to
questions 15, 16 and 17 and questions 19,21 and 22 if we are using a third
party provider.

I can confirm that we are not using a third party provider and will
therefore be responding to questions 15, 16 and 17 only as follows:

15. Is/has your local authority been involved in a Personalisation pilot
scheme, and if

so which solution did you/are you piloting?

The local Authority has mainstreamed the award of personal budgets

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

Mainstreamed since Jan 2010

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

N/A

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be
submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your
request, and should be addressed to:

Service Insight Team

Sandwell Council House

Freeth Street

Oldbury

West Midlands

B69 3DE

Email - [Sandwell Borough Council request email]

If you are not content with the outcome of an internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Regards

David Stevens

Divisional Manager

[1]sandwell_mbc

Sandwell Council...working for you

T: 0121 569 2056
F: 0121 569 5489
E: [2][email address]

Sandwell Council
Jack Judge House

PO Box 15888

Oldbury

West Midlands

B69 9EN (sat nav B69 2AS)

W: [3]www.sandwell.gov.uk

References

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Andrew Greenhalgh

Dear David Stevens,

I have clarified our questions (Below) I trust this helps you to answer them.

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)