Personalisation of care services

The language around the 'personalisation agenda' – to increase choice and control in health and social care services – is ever changing. Here is a quick guide to the latest terminology.

• personal budgets
• individual budgets
• personal health budgets

Personal budgets

People assess their own care needs, with support from a care coordinator and other supporters, and this is translated into a single cash amount or 'budget'. The person will write a support plan, including how they would like to spend the money and what support they might need. The money is then given to the person directly into their bank account (a direct payment), or is kept by the local authority who spend the money on behalf of the person, or it is redirected to a statutory service.

Individual budgets

Individual budgets were piloted in social care services from 2006 to 2007. Individual budgets are exactly like personal budgets but integrate a greater number of funding streams, so people can be assessed once and receive one pot of money covering the Disabled Facilities Grant, Integrated Community Equipment Services budget, Independent Living Fund and social care money and others.

Personal health budgets

The Government is funding a pilot programme of personal health budgets, due to start in 2013/14. Much of the detail will be decided locally by the pilot sites, but the Government wants mental health to be one of the areas piloted. Personal health budgets should look much like social care budgets.