MPS: Individual purchasing
Introduction
People who are individual purchasers of care and support can be self-funders, or people with a personal budget who have chosen to take this as an Individual Service Fund or a direct payment. The role of the local authority is to ensure that the needs of people who use services are matched by the supply of services.
Government policy on health and social care aims to tailor services to individuals’ needs and wishes.
A personal budget is a sum of money that a local authority or NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) allocates to a person to meet their assessed health and social care needs. Since the implementation of the Care Act in April 2015, all care is paid for through a personal budget of some form.
Care that gives people control over their lives is also known as self-directed support. Direct Payments and Individual Service Funds (ISF) are a form of self-directed support for people who want to purchase and manage their social care and support themselves.
Care Act responsibilities in relation to individual purchasers also apply to self-funders in many respects.
Individual purchasing forms a key part of the health and social care market viability and sustainability.
Last updated: 21/01/2020