What is Self-Directed Support
Self-Directed Support (SDS) is the way social care support is provided in Scotland. The term comes from the Social Care (Self Directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2014 that explains how people should get care and support in Scotland.
SDS enables disabled people, people living with long term conditions, and unpaid carers to manage and choose the support they need. It is for people of all ages including children and older people. By having choice and control of their own support, people can be empowered to live in a way that suits them.
If eligible for support, SDS enables individuals to choose how their support is provided and gives them as much control as they want over their personal budget.
Self Directed Support Options
There are 4 options for SDS.
Direct Payment
Individual Service Fund
Direct Service
A Mix of Options 1, 2 and 3
Direct Payment
I get the money to spend on the support that I choose
The council pay money directly to you, and you arrange your own support by employing care staff, buying services or items to meet your care needs.
Individual Service Fund
I tell the HSCP how to spend the money
The council or an organisation of your choice holds the money, and you oversee how the money is spent.
Direct Service
I let the HSCP decide how to spend the money
The council will choose and arrange the support they think is right for you.
A Mix of Options One, Two and Three
You choose more than one of the other 3 options and decide how your support is arranged.
Our Brokerage Service
Regarding Option 1 the SDS Forum can also act on your behalf and hold your funds and arrange for payment with the agreement from you and your Social Worker at East Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP).
This is called our Brokerage Service.
- All spending activity will be recorded on our financial management system. You can receive a copy of this at your request.
- All information in relation to your Option 1 payment will be shared with you throughout and you will have full access to statements, audit reports and invoices or receipts.
- We will produce a full report required for Auditing for the HSCP. You will also receive a copy this report.
- We will be responsible for making any payments on your behalf to any services or for any purchases as agreed on your outcome/assessment plan.
- The SDS Forum will have full responsibility for the funds in the account and any payments due. Payments will be pre-approved by you before payment is made to service provider or self-employed PA/Pas.
- You will continue to manage how you spend your budget as normal between you and your allocated Social Worker. You can inform us of any changes and we will proceed with this on your behalf.
- We will support you to set up arrangements with a payroll agency and we will provide you with Employment Support Advice that you may require, should you wish to employ a personal assistant yourself.
How Can I Get SDS? A Simple Guide to the Process
Arrange an appointment with a social worker from the HSCP to talk about the support you need and what is important to you. This is called an assessment.
This will help the social worker decide if and how much money is needed to pay for your support. This is called your support budget. You may need to pay some money towards your support budget.
Make a support plan with the social worker and choose which option would suit best for your support
Jargon Buster
Unsure what a particular phrase or term means? Our jargon buster helps explains some of the key terms used in relation to SDS. Simply click on the term for a short and clear explanation.
Direct Payment
Your direct payment is money that is paid to you, usually into a separate bank account in your name, to pay for your support needs. You manage this money and it must be spent on services that meet your support needs
Direct Payment Hourly Rate
Your local authority will agree with you how many hours of support and care that you need. The hourly rate is then used to calculate the total amount of your direct payment.
Individual Service Fund
If you don’t want to manage the money for your support and choose instead for the council to manage it, it will be held in something called an Individual Service Fund.
You can still decide who provides your support and how it is provided but the Council (or a service provider or third party of your choosing) will manage it on your behalf without you having to handle the money directly.
Mixed Package
This is where you choose to arrange some of your services yourself and for the council to arrange the others. It is also known as option 4
Outcomes
Outcomes means the benefits or positive changes you should experience as a result of your social care and the support provided to you. Your outcomes will reflect what matters most to you and what you want to change.
Outcome-Led Support Plan
An outcome-led or outcome-focused support plan is a plan that is agreed between you and your social worker and focuses on the benefits and positive changes your services aims to bring about.
Payroll Service
Some organisations provide a payroll service for people who employ personal assistants or carers, including a formal payslip. The cost of this service is often deducted from the person’s direct payment.
Personal Assistant
A personal assistant is a person employed by you or on your behalf by an agency or service provider, and who helps you to live more independently and do the activities you want to do.
Personalisation
Personalisation means recognising people as individuals who have strengths and preferences and putting them at the centre of their own care and support.
Personalised approaches like self-directed support and personal budgets involve enabling people to identify their own needs and make choices about how and when they are supported to live their lives.
Self-Assessment or Self-Evaluation
As part of your assessment of your support needs, you will be asked to think about what difference you want the support to make. You might answer this by completing a questionnaire or by writing a short summary.
Self-Directed Support
Self-Directed Support means that you choose how the budget for your support needs (or those of someone you care for) is spent rather than receiving services arranged by the council
Self-Directed Support Options
With self-directed support you can choose how much or how little control you want. These choices are known as ‘options’ and you can read about all four of them on this website.
Service Provider
A service provider is an agency, voluntary organisation or local authority that provides or arranges your support services.