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Direct payments – improving choice and flexibility for people who need social care

‘Making a Difference: Direct Payments’ – a joint report by the Cabinet Office and the Department of Health published today - aims to increase choice and flexible help for adults who need social care and reduce the bureaucracy associated with Direct Payments that prevents the effective delivery of social care to service users.

The eight recommendations in today's report will:

• Promote greater clarity for service users' role as employers, improving their access to bank accounts and criminal records bureau checks
• Improve support for adults by setting up a helpline, better guidance and local networks to share best practice.
• Ensure Direct Payments is part of the training of care staff to promote their importance. This should improve the quality of service and increase the take up amongst all groups.

The recommendations support the Government's Green Paper Independence, Well-being and Choice (March 2005) which set out proposals for the future direction of social care for all adults of all age groups in England.

Welcoming the report David Miliband, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said:

‘Everyone in society has a positive contribution to make to that society and they should have a right to control their own lives. Our vision is to ensure that these values will drive the way we provide social care’.

Direct payments for adult social care are designed to create flexibility in the provision of social services. Instead of providing social care services, Local Authorities give money to people so that they can purchase services themselves thereby having a greater choice and control over their lives.

Notes to editors

• Direct Payments report can be found at: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/public_sector_team/projects/consult/dirPay.asp
• The project has been a joint effort between Department of Health the Regulatory Impact Units Public Sector Team based in the Cabinet Office

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