What is Self Directed Support?
At Richmond Council, we’ve introduced a new way of providing social care called Self Directed Support to give you more control over the support you receive. Whether we fund you, or you pay for your own support, you’ll be able to choose from a variety of services that are tailored to meet your needs.
Who’s eligible for support?
People over the age of 18, who live in Richmond and need practical support due to sight or hearing loss, physical or learning disabilities, frailty or illness. Take a look at our page on eligibility for more details.
However, we’ll still need to have a discussion with you about the help and support you need to stay independent and active in your community. We call this an assessment.
What happens next?
After discussing your support needs, we’ll give you an estimate of the cost of providing that support, which we call an ‘Indicative Budget’. We’ll also see if you qualify for a financial contribution from us, which we call a Personal Budget. You’ll plan how you would spend the money to support yourself and, when we’ve agreed this, we’ll give you your Personal Budget if you’re eligible. You can receive this as a Direct Payment, which means you can spend the money in a way that best suits you and arrange your own support.
Hestia, can help you to make arrangements to employ someone with your Direct Payment, or, if you prefer, we can do this for you.
The Money Advice Service, set up by government, provides free, unbiased and independent advice, including useful information on employing your own personal assistant.
We’ll check with you from time to time that everything’s still working for you. You could also contact a private home care agency. Remember to take care to choose an agency that’s registered and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Call 03000 616161 or email enquiries@cqc.org.uk. We maintain a list of home care agencies
(pdf, 267KB) in the borough.
How do I get Self Directed Support and who can help me?
Our Adult Social Care team can help you to complete the Self Directed Support process so you don’t have to do it alone. You can also ask local organisations for help or your family or friends and you can see what other people think of Self Directed Support.
How much does it cost?
The cost depends on how much support you need to live as independently as possible in your own home and community.
Can I get help with the cost?
You may have to contribute towards the cost of your support, depending on your level of savings, income and expenses.
We’ll help you to fill out a financial assessment form to see if you qualify for help. To get a rough idea of costs and how much you’ll pay, you can carry out a quick, confidential, financial self assessment online.
Any contribution we make is your Personal Budget. You can look after the money yourself and use it to arrange your own support, or you can ask us to hold the money and help you to find the support you need.
What if I don’t qualify for financial support?
If you don't qualify for financial help from us, you could arrange to employ someone directly, a Personal Assistant, to support you. Hestia, a local organisation, can help you to find someone.
The Money Advice Service, set up by government, provides free, unbiased and independent advice, including useful information on employing your own personal assistant.
You could also contact a private home care agency. Remember to take care to choose an agency that’s registered and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Call 03000 616161 or email enquiries@cqc.org.uk. We maintain a list of home care agencies(pdf, 79KB) in the borough.
If you’re still unsure you can contact the Adult Social Care Access Team
British sign language (BSL)
We have BSL videos with sound on Self Directed Support.