Personalisation and Self Directed Support

The way in which we deliver adult social care services has changed as part of government reforms and the Personalisation agenda. If you need support from adult social care services, you will have more choice over how you can access the services you require – this is known as Self-Directed Support. In order to do this effectively, you will also be given the opportunity to take control of any social care funding that you may be entitled to – this is known as your Personal Budget.

To contact Adult Social Care services in Worcestershire call the Access Centre on 0845 607 2000, or email socialcare@worcestershire.gov.uk.  
If you are looking for information or advice on health and wellbeing services or activities throughout Worcestershire visit the Carewise website at www.whub.org.uk/carewise.

The Choice and Control programme, which came to a close in April 2011, was Worcestershire County Council's response to the government's personalisation agenda and reforms in adult social care.  

During the lifetime of the programme we worked with staff, service providers, voluntary organisations, people who use adult social care services; and their carers to develop new ways of working so that people requiring support have more choice about the services they use and more control over how and where they access these services. 

The Choice and Control programme concentrated on developing the new processes for delivering a new social care service.  As a result of the programme several new services are now in place including the Promoting Independence service and the Carewise website.

Although the Choice and Control programme has now finished, there is still work to do to ensure that people requiring adult social care support really do have more choice and control and are able to stay living in their communities for as long as possible, thus preventing the need for more intensive support services.  Some of this work is about working with businesses, voluntary organisations and other council services to ensure that their services meet the requirements of the personalisation agenda. 

Work is now going on to develop the marketplace and improve the links that we have with other areas of the council and organisations in the public sector and private sector, including health colleagues and housing providers. We are also working with voluntary sector organisations, local communities and district councils to make sure that the widest possible range of support is available. 

• Learn more about self directed support and personal budgets