Find out about what direct payments are and how they can be spent on short breaks.
A direct payment is money given to:
This money enables them to buy in support that is assessed as being needed, instead of Brighton and Hove City Council providing that support through their own services.
Direct payments can be made for special educational provision, health care provision, and social care provision.
Local authorities must offer the option of direct payments in place of services currently being received.
For both education and social care the local authority must be satisfied that the person who receives the direct payments can manage the direct payments either:
This ensures they will:
Those assessed as meeting the criteria for the Specialist Community Disability Team (SCDS) can receive direct payments.
Children and young people who have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) and their parents have the right to request a personal budget, which may contain elements of education, social care and health funding. This may be delivered by way of Direct Payments.
Under the Children and Families Act 2014, this covers those aged 0 to 25 with SEND.
Direct payments are paid in advance into a bank account set up for this purpose. The payments are made as a one-off payment or weekly.
If the direct payment is assessed as needed at key times such as for school holidays, then payment will be made accordingly.
A Social Worker first assesses the child and/or family's needs.
This assessment will:
The Social Worker will then present a request to a Resource Panel of Managers and service providers who will decide whether:
Direct payments can be spent to employ a Personal Assistant (PA) to:
You can spend direct payments to pay a registered childminder or child home carer for children under 8.
You can spend direct payments on:
By agreement with the Head of Service for direct payments, the money can also be spent on any service which meets the family’s assessed need for a short break.