Havering signs up to Dementia Friendly Personal Budgets
Havering is one of the first borough’s to sign up to the Alzheimer’s Society Charter for Dementia Friendly Personal Budgets, launched today (Thursday 3 November).
Councillor Wendy Brice-Thompson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Health, said:
“The Care Act gives everyone who is receiving support from social services the legal right to a personal budget, which enables them greater choice and control over their care and support.
“However, fewer than a third of people receiving social care support for problems with memory and cognition have a personal budget, despite the government’s aspirations for a person-centred care and support system."
The Alzheimer’s Society has produced a guide of easy and cost-effective actions councils can take to improve the personal budgets process for people with dementia and their carers. The charity is urging all local authorities with adult social care responsibilities to sign the Dementia-Friendly Personal Budgets Charter to demonstrate their commitment.
The Council’s pledge includes:
- producing relevant and clear information on personal budgets for people with dementia
- always explaining all the available options and methods for receiving a personal budget
- training all staff involved in care and support planning in the personalisation agenda to ensure accurate and appropriate information is provided at all times
- having a timely and transparent assessment process that clearly explains how they have decided on the amount of money a person will receive
- collecting robust data on the uptake and outcomes of personal budgets for people with dementia so that services are continuously improved.
Ian McCreath, Personal Choice Manager at Alzheimer’s Society said:
“Personal budgets have the potential to give much needed choice and control to people with dementia. Our research has uncovered a worrying situation for people with dementia when trying to obtain a budget so it is really encouraging to see Havering signing up to The Dementia-Friendly Personal Budgets Charter. Hopefully it will encourage other local authorities to follow suit and support more people with dementia to live better lives.”