See answers to previous information requests

In our request, we refer to:
• Direct payments: specifically, money paid to clients aged 18 years and over so that they can arrange their own care and support.
• Personal assistants: provide people with personal, domestic, and social support to help them live independently.
• Homecare: social care and support services delivered in people’s own homes (also known as ‘domiciliary care’ or ‘care at home’).
In case of doubt, you should apply a reasonable and practical interpretation to the request. If you do not hold the information in the exact form requested, please provide the nearest available information you hold and explain the basis on which it is recorded.

1.
a) The total number of adult social care clients aged 18 years and over in receipt of a direct payment as of: (i) 1 April 2024, (ii) 1 April 2025 and (iii) 1 April 2026 (or the nearest dates for which data is held).
1 April 2024 - 337 open clients
1 April 2025 - 347 open clients
1 April 2026 - 373 open clients
Note: Carers are not included in the reported figures.
b) The percentage of adult social care clients aged 18 years and over in receipt of a direct payment as of: (i) 1 April 2024, (ii) 1 April 2025 and (iii) 1 April 2026 (or the nearest dates for which data is held). Please also state the denominator used for each percentage calculation (i.e. the total number of all adult social care clients aged 18 years and over for each date) Please note that, for each date, we are seeking the percentage out of all adult social care clients receiving a community-based (i.e. non-residential) service.
1 April 2024 - 25%
1 April 2025 - 24%
1 April 2026 - 24%
Note: Figures show the proportion of Adult Social Care (ASC) clients in receipt of a direct payment out of the total number of clients receiving community-based services. Carers are not included in the reported figures."
c) Please provide details of any strategy or target you have to increase direct payment uptake among adult social care clients over the next few years: The Council can confirm that it does not hold a standalone strategy document or specific numerical target for increasing Direct Payment uptake. The Council meets its statutory duties under the Care Act 2014 by ensuring that individuals are offered a Direct Payment as an option where they are eligible and it is appropriate to meet their needs. The Council has previously undertaken service improvement activity aimed at increasing the use of Direct Payments as part of its wider approach to "make Wokingham the best place to take a direct payment", informed by engagement with residents, carers, providers and staff. This work identified improvements relating to staff training, systems, communication and specialist support to reduce barriers and support greater use of Direct Payments. The Council's approach is therefore to support uptake through meeting its statutory duties and service development activity, rather than through a fixed published target.

Questions (d)-(e) consider how direct payments are used.
d) The total number of clients aged 18 years and over currently in receipt of a direct payment to buy homecare services through an agency.
1 April 2024 - 118 open clients
1 April 2025 - 128 open clients
1 April 2025 - 139 open clients
e) The total number of clients aged 18 years and over currently in receipt of a direct payment to employ or engage a personal assistant: 79

Questions (f)-(i) relate to personal assistants.
f) The total number of personal assistants currently recorded by your council as supporting adults aged 18 years and over through a direct payment arrangement. (This information might be held in a register, approved list, payroll/support service, direct payment monitoring process, or other council-held record.): number taken from Payroll Service = 85
g) The total number of those personal assistants in answer to question (f) recorded by your council as having an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where this information is held: WBC apply for an enhanced DBS check for all their customers
h) The total number of those personal assistants in answer to question (f) recorded by your council as self-employed: 35
i) Where a direct payment recipient wishes to engage a personal assistant on a self-employed basis, what evidence, checks or guidance does your council require or use before agreeing that the arrangement may be treated as self-employed rather than employed: Self-Employed Carers should be registered with HMRC, WBC ask for evidence of this. They should also be registered with Companies House which is checked by the DP Team. SE Carers should have enhanced DBS check & relevant training in place to meet customers assessed needs.