Roles In The Delivery Of Direct Payments And Personal Budgets

Social workers and other care staff play a number of roles in the delivery of direct payments and personal budgets. I am involved in decision-making - helping service users decide whether a direct payment or council managed personal budget is right for them. I have in the past completed assessments and resource allocation - assessing service users' needs, or supporting them to assess their own needs, and allocating a budget to meet them, based on a resource allocation system. Other examples are:
• Risk management and enablement – Where I have helped service users manage risks in their lives and regarding their care and support, and supporting them to take risks.
• Challenging the size of a personal budget - social workers may feel that a