Self-Directed Support Practitioner’s Guidance published by Scottish Government
In force from 1 April 2014, the Self-Directed Support (Scotland) Act 2013 aims “to make legislative provisions relating to the arranging of care and support in order to provide a range of choices to individuals as to how they are provided with their support”.
The Scottish Government has today published guidance for practitioners charged with implementing the 2013 Act.
The Act’s new duties can be summarised as:
- A person must have as much involvement in the assessment process as they wish and also in the provision of support services. It is built into the Act that people must be enabled to participate in their own assessment. This includes NHS partners.
- The local authority and those delegated must collaborate with the individual in relation to the assessment of the person’s needs for support or services and the provision of support or services for the person.
- When a person has been assessed as eligible for support there is a duty to offer four options in relation to how that support will be facilitated. There is also a duty to ensure these choices are informed through consideration of impact and implications.
- A person must be provided with any reasonable assistance to enable them to express any views they have about the options for self-directed support. This will require consideration of, for example, advocacy, interpreter or other communication support.
The duty to offer the four options is a specifically a duty for the local authority.
The four options are:
- a direct payment.
- directing the available support.
- services arranged for the person by the authority.
- a mixture of the three above.
Self-directed Support: Practitioners Guidance is available @ http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0045/00458234.pdf