Understanding direct payments for care in Sheffield and Rotherham

The route is broadly similar on both sides of the local-authority boundary, but the council you contact matters. People living in our Sheffield service areas should approach Sheffield City Council. Waverley is in Rotherham, so residents there should approach Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.

What is a personal budget and a direct payment?

After an adult social care assessment, a council may decide that a person has eligible care and support needs. A personal budget is the amount identified to help meet those needs. A direct payment is one way of receiving some or all of that budget as money so the person—or an authorised person helping them—can arrange agreed support.

The alternatives may include the council arranging services, another organisation managing the budget, or a mixture of approaches. A direct payment is a choice, not the only route.

The route starts with an assessment

Contact the adult social care team for the council where the person lives and ask for a needs assessment. The assessment considers the person’s circumstances, the outcomes that matter to them and whether their needs meet the national Care Act eligibility rules.

• An assessment does not guarantee funded support
• The council records which needs and outcomes it agrees to support
• A financial assessment then considers what the person can afford to contribute
• The support plan explains what an agreed budget may be used for

What might a direct payment pay for?

The money must be used to meet needs and outcomes in the council-approved support plan. Depending on that plan, examples given by Sheffield and Rotherham councils include employing a personal assistant, buying support from an agency, accessing community or daytime activities, respite, equipment or minor adaptations.

It is not ordinary spending money. Sheffield Council states that direct payments cannot be used for general living costs such as shopping or bills, or for services the NHS is responsible for. Rotherham requires records showing that payments have been used for the agreed purpose.

Council-managed, direct payment or a mixture?

Some people value the choice and flexibility of arranging support themselves. Others prefer the council or another organisation to manage it. Sheffield describes council-managed budgets, direct payments, Individual Service Funds and combinations; Rotherham also allows council-arranged services, direct payments or a mixture.

Ask who will arrange support, pay invoices, keep records and deal with changes. The most suitable option is the one the person can understand and manage safely, with appropriate help where needed.

If you employ a personal assistant

Paying an individual directly can make the person an employer. Responsibilities may include recruitment, contracts, payroll, tax, pensions, insurance, holiday and sick pay, and safe working arrangements. Both councils provide support or information, but these responsibilities should be understood before choosing this route.

Buying a service from an organisation is different from employing a personal assistant, although records and the council’s agreed conditions still apply.

Sheffield: where to start

Sheffield says most people aged 16 or over who are assessed as eligible for social care support can choose a direct payment. An eligible carer or a parent of a disabled child may also qualify in relevant circumstances.

Waverley: the Rotherham route

Waverley residents are not excluded from direct payments. Rotherham Council states that a person may receive a direct payment after an Adult Social Care assessment finds eligible care and support needs. The amount is based on the assessed needs and the council-approved plan.

To request or discuss an assessment, contact Rotherham Adult Social Care on 01709 822330. Living in Waverley does not itself mean support must be funded privately; the assessment and financial assessment determine the position.

Will the council pay the full cost?

Not necessarily. Adult social care is means-tested. The council completes a financial assessment and may decide that the person must contribute some or all of the cost. Rotherham explains that, where it provides financial help, the direct payment is normally the council’s contribution after the assessed personal contribution has been deducted.

Could a direct payment be used with Unity?

Potentially, but only where the council-approved support and purchasing arrangements fit Unity Home Care’s current lawful service scope, availability and terms. A direct payment does not itself approve a provider or expand what that provider may legally deliver.

Questions to ask the council

• Has the person been assessed as having eligible care and support needs?
• What outcomes and activities are included in the support plan?
• What is the personal budget and how was it calculated?
• Will the person need to make a contribution?
• Can all or part of the budget be taken as a direct payment?
• What records, bank account and monitoring will be required?
• Does the council need to approve the proposed provider or arrangement?
• Who can help if managing the money or employing someone feels difficult?