How does Self Directed Support work?

Our Adult Social Care team can help you through the process so you don’t have to do it alone. You can also ask a number of local organisations for help or your family or friends.

How it works

You tell us about your needs

You complete a Self Directed Support Assessment Questionnaire with your social care practitioner about how your disability, illness or impairment is affecting different areas of your life.

If you’re young and disabled in transition you’ll be asked to complete the questionnaire before you’re 18. We’ll estimate your budget then, but the money won’t be available until you’re 18.

We work out your Personal Budget

We do the sums based on your answers in the Self Directed Support Questionnaire and financial assessment. We then tell you how much we estimate your Personal Budget is according to the cost of the care and support you may need and how much, if anything, we’ll contribute towards it.

You plan your support

You draw up a Support Plan where you look at the things you want to change in your life and the things you want to stay the same. You explain how you’ll spend your Personal Budget in a way that makes sense to you and how it will support you. You need to decide on the right support for yourself before you can use your Personal Budget.

We need to agree your Support Plan

If you qualify for financial help, we have to agree your Support Plan, which means the amount of support you think you need and the cost of this support. Once this is done, we’ll give you your Personal Budget. If you’re using your own money, we won’t need to agree your Support Plan.

You take control of your Personal Budget

You’ll be able to look after, or take as much control as you want of the money in your Personal Budget. There are different ways of doing this to suit everyone. Your Personal Budget can only be spent on the social care needs identified during your assessment but how you do this is very flexible.

You arrange your support

You spend your Personal Budget on the support you need as outlined in your Support Plan. You’ll receive lots of help to find the support that offers you the best deal and best meets your needs. You’ll be encouraged to choose your support yourself, if you feel able, to give you maximum control over your life but you can ask others to do it for you if you prefer.

We check it’s working

At a set time(s) of the year, a social care practitioner visits you to check that your Personal Budget is working for you and discuss what, if anything, you want to do next or need to change.

I want more details about Self Directed Support

We have created a leaflet for you covering all the details we think you might want more information about:

Your Support Your Way(pdf, 1411KB)

What do people think?

Find out what people think, how they’ve used Self Directed Support and how it’s helped them.

Who can help me?

You can ask friends and family for help every step of the way and your social care practitioner will guide you throughout and answer any questions you have. You can use a Support Broker, who’s a person trained to help you look at, choose and set up your support programme. You can also use an Advocate, who is an independent person and can help you to say what you want, get the services you need and look after your rights and interests.

Richmond Users Independent Living Scheme (RUILS)

RUILS is a service user group providing brokers, support planning workshops, newsletters, employment advice and information about Self Directed Support. RUILS also co-ordinates the provision of services from other voluntary organisations within the borough to help with Self Directed Support.

Address: Disability Action & Advice Centre (DAAC), 4 Waldegrave Road (A309),
Teddington, TW11 8HT

Phone: 020 8831 6083
Email: info@ruils.co.uk
Website: www.ruils.co.uk

Richmond Independent Brokerage Service (RIBS)

RIBS provides information, advice and a support brokerage service to individuals with social care needs and carers accessing Self Directed Support in the London Borough of Richmond.