Page 4 - TLAP Beyond Direct Payments

Beyond Direct Payments
SUMMARY
Personalisation has rightly been associated with a signi cant growth in the use of direct payments. They give people choice and control over their care and support, and the exibility to live their lives the way they want, but direct payments are not the only way to help people have better lives.
This guidance has been developed to make the case for new approaches to support people should a direct payment not be the preferred option. It challenges the view that support from micro-enterprises can only be purchased using a direct payment.
It offers alternative options for consideration:
MICRO-ENTERPRISES: Small and family businesses, local social entrepreneurs, community organisations, some run by disabled people and families are a powerful source of good ideas, local connections and better support solutions.
INDIVIDUAL SERVICE FUNDS: Existing support organisations can work more exibly and new support organisations emerge to develop support solutions in partnership with people themselves.
NEW MODELS OF COMMISSIONING: Funders can organise their systems differently to enable choice and exibility. In fact emerging online solutions could radically increase the degree of choice available.
It is now time for funders to understand their role as investors in people and communities and ensure that their systems are designed to liberate innovation and action at both the personal and the local level.
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