Social care DPs compared to SEN DPs

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Many of you will know that SEN provision DPs are being 'trialled' (in theory anyway) in some LAs.

One of the criteria is that you can only get SEN DPs if it is considered an efficient use of resources. LAs seem to be interpreting this in a way which means, if they have a block contract in place, they will never allow a DP. So it is game over right from the start.

Am I right in thinking this is not the approach taken by DPs for social care and that if you are assessed as eligible you are simply offered the option for DPs? There is no need to prove that it would be an efficient use of resources.

there is an assessment of need, (and if those needs meet the criteria for services in that area) then there is a choice on how the needs are met, direct payments can be spent to meet those needs, or direct services can be provided.

For example if the need is access to adequate nutrion, and access to social interaction then meal provided at day centre, could be service accessed, but similarly case could be made for direct payments to pay for worker to wheel someone to the pub for lunch with friends instead

the amount of direct payment should (I believe, I am a bit rusty, ) be equivalent to the cost of the hours to the service, if the service was meeting those needs.

For example if someone needed help to dress, and the service would provide someone to visit for 15 minutes to do that, then the DP would be equivalent amounjt to the cost of that 15 minutes of service provision, (However if you paid someone to do it for you using DP and you paid them less per hour, then you could have more time. IYSWIM)

Sorry, as I said very rusty on DP...

Thanks. That is what I thought. They are not tied to 'efficient use of resources'.

We were initially assessed as requiring 15 hours of social care per week. We had the option of direct payments or agency provided staff through the LA. We chose direct payments and the LA decided what the payment rate would be, and that was it. No evaluation.