Personal budgets -What does it mean?

I've been hearing a lot about Personal Budgets, what does this mean?





Oh, I am just trying to understand that myself as everything is changing. But it's about getting money for the care and support I need.





I've heard it's supposed to give us more choice and control so we can have a better quality of life - but I only know one person with learning disabilities who has a Personal Budget.

Yes, but how is that different from Direct Payments? Are you still getting the money that you need?






Yes I am but I can decide how to use it. It's about me being at the centre of my care. I can decide what care I want and who's going to provide that support and care. It's personal to each person as everyone is different.

But why is that better?

It's better because when services are planned they ask the person that who needs them what they want. Also health care and social care professionals are going to work together better to help each person.


I think we might be able to use our Personal Budgets to get more involved in community life, which would be great, because I know lots of people with learning disabilities don't feel included in their communities.

But how are we going to find out about Personal Budgets so that we understand what it is and know what help and support is available? I've never seen any easy read information about Personal Budgets.

Neither have I. We need information about Personal Budgets that has pictures and easy words. This would help us to get the right information without relying on our social worker or our support worker to get it for us. Videos would help us to understand too. Then we'd have more power!

Has it made a difference for you, Annabel?

Yes, I can choose what support I get and also change it to something else when my health changes. I have more freedom to get around because my transport fits round me rather than the timetable of the provider. This make me feel much happier because I am more independent.

We will just have to see how it works out for different people as it's a lot of changes to services and people are a bit worried about how it's going to work for them.

I think we will need good support to understand the changes and how they will affect us. We need Peer to Peer support and training from other people with learning disabilities to help us understand what our rights are, what Personal Budgets are, how we get them and what to do if things go wrong.

oh, Peer to Peer and easy read information, wouldn't that be great. I can feel the power!