There are six different ways to look after your support money. You can choose any (or a mixture) of these ways to help you stay in control:
The money goes straight into your bank account. You spend it yourself on the support you need and you keep a note of your costs. If you need help with this, we can give you information on services which can help you with all the things you need to do when you employ people to work for you.
The money can be managed by a representative who agrees to act on your behalf. They spend the money on the support outlined in your support plan. They keep a record of how the money is spent.
An Independent Living Trust can be set up to look after your money for you. A group of people you know well become your Trustees. They work together to manage, arrange and pay for the services you need.
You pay an independent broker to sort out the services you need. This can be helpful if there is no one is who can be a Representative and no group of people who can form a Trust. There is more information about brokerage on the self directed support website.
You ask a provider organisation to manage your individual budget for you. They will need to make sure that your money is kept separate from their other money (an Individual Service Fund). They must use your money to support only you. They will need to be very clear about how much of your money will be spent on management costs and talk about this with you.
The Local Authority will buy support for you from existing in-house or pre-contracted services. This could work well if you are happy with a service you are already receiving and would like it to continue. If you would like to spend part of your individual budget on existing services, we can give you information on how much these cost so you can work out your budget.
If you would like more information about managing your money, visit the self directed support money section on Sheffield City Council's website.
