1. What is your local authorities criteria for children and young people to access a direct payment?
Children are required to live within the Borough, be 0-18 years old, have a diagnosed disability and a need assessed by either the Short Break and Early Help Team or Social Work Team.

2. How many children and young people do you have in your local authority accessing a direct payment?
168.

3. Please can you provide a broad outline of the services that families use the direct payment for?
Families use the service to pay for a range of short breaks which include:
• Personal Assistants
• Agency workers
• Afterschool clubs
• Youth Clubs
• Weekend Clubs
• Holiday Clubs

4. Please could you identity how the direct payment is managed?
a) the family manage the money through a separate bank account and the spend is audited by the local authority
Yes.
b) a third party manages the account on behalf of the family
Yes.
c) the local authority provides the direct payment on a pre-paid card which the family uses to pay for services
Yes; as part of the money managed through a separate bank account as asked in part (a).
d) the local authority manage an account for each family and pay for services
Yes.
e) other: please provide further details
Not applicable.

5. What support do you provide to families to identify what their direct payment will be used for?
We have a team of Short Break and Early Help Co-ordinators and a Social work team who help to support children and families to identify suitable short break provisions.

The support is reviewed regularly, and the usage can change over time. The Direct Payment Team also offer advice and support on setting up the direct payment i.e., payroll service and insurance and to manage their accounts.

6. What is the highest value direct payment package that is funded by your Local Authority?
£8,153.17

7. What is the lowest value direct payment package that is funded by your Local Authority?
£21.00 per month

8. What is the average value direct payment package that is funded by your Local Authority?
£132.40 per month

9. Who is involved in the decision making process as to whether a family will be awarded a direct payment?
Following assessment referrals are presented to our Children with Additional Needs Multi Agency panel. (Social Care, Education and Health are represented).

10. Does your local authority employ a third party to provide employment and recruitment support and advice for personal assistants?
No.

11. Do you advertise personal assistants on your website?
No.

12. What short break provision does your local authority commission?
Although we have commissioned short breaks services previously, we are not commissioning any at present.

13. How many children and young people accessed a personal budget in your local authority?
We do not hold this information.