Independent Living Services
At the heart of PeoplePlus Communities division is the knowledge, experience and expertise to provide those with lived experience, some of the most vulnerable groups in society.
Direct Payments and Personal Health Budgets support those where a care need is identified.
PeoplePlus aims to do everything we can to enable people to live independently in their own homes and communities. We put people first.
PeoplePlus Independent Living Services achieve this goal by providing information and guidance to people with disabilities, long term illness or special educational need who receive a direct payment or personal health budget, either from social care or health departments, to manage their own care and support package.
A direct payment or personal health budget is where local authorities and/or health commissioners give assessed care funding as a cash payment to people in need of support, rather than directly provided social care services, this gives people a greater control over their lives and how their care is delivered by promoting independence, choice and inclusion.
We offer a range of person-centred services to support people to manage their own budgets. Our skilled team of advisers work with each individual to ensure the right support package is built and maintained.
Our services include:
- Information and guidance on direct payments
- Support planning service
- Brokerage service, enabling you to choose providers who meet your individual needs
- Support to recruit and employ your own personal assistant(s)
- Training for personal assistants
- Payroll service to enable you to meet legal obligations when paying personal assistants
- Managed account service for additional support in managing your assessed funding
- Ongoing support when you need it
We deliver services in the following areas:
England:
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Sheffield
- Wakefield
- Rotherham
- Nottinghamshire
- Stoke
- Walsall
- Dudley
- Solihull
- South Gloucestershire
- Bristol
- Tower Hamlets
- Southwark
- Brighton and Hove
- East Sussex
- Cheshire East form the 1st October 2019
Wales:
- Wrexham
- Powys
- North Port Talbot
- Bridgend
According to the National Audit Office (NAO), adult social care spend by local authorities fell by 8% in 2018 with estimated decrease of around 10% predicted for 2019. The majority of local authority social care spending was to support people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible; the reduction in spend on adult residential placements is a continuing trend.
Uptake of direct payments continues to vary but we believe are the best way of people being independent in their own homes for as long as possible:
50% of people with assessed physical disability support need choose DP
40% of people with assessed learning disability support need choose DP
20% of people with assessed mental health support need choose DP
16% of older people with an assessed need choose DP
