What is a Direct Payment?

Anyone who thinks they may have a need for social care support can ask the Council for an assessment of their needs. If you need help to manage day-today activities, such as getting washed and dressed or getting yourself something to eat, and as a result there is a significant impact on your health and wellbeing, then you may be eligible for support from Oxfordshire County Council.

Being ‘eligible’ means that, because of illness or disability, you need support and care to manage some of the basics of everyday life, such as eating, using the toilet, maintaining relationships or keeping yourself safe at home.

The Council uses national eligibility criteria for both adults with care and support needs and carers with support needs to work out if you are eligible.

You have the right to have an assessment regardless of your ability to pay for the support you may need. The assessment may be over the telephone or face-to-face, COVID-19 restrictions permitting, and you may also be able to complete some assessments online.

Your assessment will involve talking with you, your carer, and other people who know you well about different aspects of your life, which may include your physical health, your emotional health, how you manage to look after yourself, and your current family and support networks.

The assessment is an opportunity to understand your situation, the needs you may have and your strengths and capabilities. It should take your personal wishes into account in deciding what sort of care, advice or information you need.

You can arrange an assessment either for yourself or for someone else: • Via the Oxfordshire County Council website at

www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

• By phone on 0345 050 7666 • By emailing

socialandhealthcare@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Planning your support

If your assessment shows you’re not eligible for help from the Council, you will be told about other organisations that can help you.

If you have eligible needs, the Council will tell you how much money you are likely to need to cover the costs of your assessed needs – known as a Personal Budget. A Personal Budget helps you to have control over your life, identify your needs and the things you want to do and, if you wish, manage your own support. If you are eligible for financial support from the Council, you can choose to have your Personal Budget paid to you as a Direct Payment, which means you can plan exactly how to use it to meet the eligible needs agreed in your assessment.

Contact Oxfordshire County Council’s Social and Health Care team on 0345 050 7666 or visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk to find out more.

What is a Direct Payment?

A Direct Payment is an agreed amount of money allocated to meet your support needs and allows you to spend the money allocated to purchase your own care and support in a way that best suits you, so that you can be as independent as possible. You will then be able to choose how the total sum of money is spent and take control of your own care. You can choose to have:

• A Direct Payment. • Services that are provided or arranged by

Oxfordshire County Council. • A mixture of a Direct Payment and the services the Council can provide or arrange.