Self-directed support (SDS)

 

Self-directed support lets you choose and arrange the social care your child needs. If your child has been assessed as needing help, you can use self-directed support to plan support in a way that suits your family. It gives you more control over what help you receive, when you receive it and who provides it.

What is Self-directed Support?

How Self-directed Support works

We will carry out an assessment to understand your child’s needs and what matters most to your family. This assessment focuses on the support your child needs because of their disability. We can complete an assessment when:

• your child has unmet social care needs
• these needs are stable and ongoing
• your family is not already working with social work

If the assessment shows your child needs funded support, we will work with you to create an indicative budget. Together, we will agree a care plan that explains:

• the outcomes your child wants to achieve
• what support will be put in place
• how the budget can be used

We will give you clear guidance on what the budget can pay for. Funding cannot be used for anything that should be provided by another service, or for support that is considered normal parental responsibility.

Your choices

Self-directed support gives you four options for arranging support:

• Option 1 - You manage the budget yourself
• Option 2 - You choose an organisation to manage the budget for you
• Option 3 - We arrange the support for you
• Option 4 - A mix of the options above

You can choose the option that works best for your child and your family.

Find out more

Please use the links above to find out more information regarding Self-directed Support.