Self directed support
Our guiding principle is to ensure that everyone in Shetland is able to live and participate in a safe, vibrant and healthy community. We want people to achieve this by having as much choice and control about how their social care and support is provided.
The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 means that councils have a duty to offer you more choices. There are five principles that will guide everyone when they use the new law:
- Involvement
- Information and Choice
- Collaboration
- Dignity
- Right to take part in Community Life
What kind of support might be covered by Self-directed Support:
- with personal things like having a bath, washing or getting dressed
- to live independently in your own house, for example; help with managing your money or cooking and cleaning the house
- to get out and about, so you can see friends, join in activities, stay fit and healthy
- to go on a short break (respite)
- to go to work or college
Payment Choices
The Act requires councils to offer you four choices for how you meet these needs:
A Cash Individual Budget
Also referred to as a Direct Payment, this is where you will receive money to arrange your own support, employ care staff, or buy a service from a care organisation. If you choose to organise your own community support package, you are in charge of the arrangements. This should allow you to organise your life the way you wish. You will get a sum of money to spend on the support you need instead of receiving council services. The council will let you know what you can and can’t spend the money on. You need to tell us your plans for buying support. You must have a bank account for the money you receive and you will also need to record how you spend the money. Help is available to work out the practical arrangements so that they suit you.
New legislation on workplace pensions has changed. Every employer with at least one member of staff (even if it’s a carer to help you around the home) now has new duties, including enrolling those who are eligible into a workplace pension scheme and contributing towards it. This is called automatic enrolment. For more information on whether this applies to you and what you need to do to fulfill your duties please visit the following site:
A Managed Individual Budget
This is when you do not want to handle the money yourself you can choose a care provider that you want to provide your support and ask the local council (in this case the Shetland Islands Council) to pay the care provider. This option is currently limited in Shetland as we do not have many alternative care providers. However, Shetland Islands Council is committed to stimulating the private and independent support services available here in Shetland to ensure individuals who wish to engage in Self Directed Support, have a good choice of providers.
A package of care that the council organises for you.
However, the Shetland Islands Council will still work with you to find the support that is right for you.
A mix of the above
Everyone’s support arrangements are different and people receive different types of support to meet different support needs. Therefore, some people will want to control some parts of their care and support but leave other parts to be arranged by the local council.