We will manage the change from service provision to self-directed support (SDS).
Self-directed support is available to adults and children eligible for social care support, giving people more choice and control over how they receive their support. Adult and children’s social work have worked with Social Work Scotland’s SDS team to empower staff to manage small direct payment budgets, which has resulted in quicker access to support for those with low-level need. The services have worked with In Control Scotland to develop a resource allocation system to try and ensure a fairer, more transparent and sustainable model of delivery and also an exploration of the reintroduction of caps on spend (with a recognition that there will always be those in exceptional circumstances). Children’s services are trialling their model and adult services are in the design stages. An SDS Improvement Programme Group was established in March 2023 that will lead on a review of SDS in Shetland to ensure practice continues to reflect guidance and the model continues to be effective and sustainable moving forward.
When compared to other Councils, Shetland performs reasonably well on the proportion of social care funding that is allocated using direct payments or personalised managed budgets (7.8%, slightly below the national average of 8.7%). Over the past few years, Shetland’s proportion has grown at a higher rate than the Scottish average (3.3% in 2017-18, Scotland 6.8%) It’s acknowledged that there is a limitation on market availability to spend personalised budgets, and also capacity of brokerage/support systems is limited.