Direct Payments Policy and Guidance for Children and Families

Project aims

1. Gather data on the employment market in the city to establish if the Direct Payment rate that the council sets for the employment of Personal Assistants for Children is sufficient to recruit in a relative tight jobs market.
2. Refresh and update Bristol City Council policy guidance for social work practitioners whilst also checking it is compliant with the Children and Families Act 2014, SEND Code of Practice and showcases the flexibility of Direct Payments.
3. Produce easy to understand guidance for practitioners and families around the City’s Direct Payments offer.

Project description and outcomes

Self Directed Futures was commissioned to work alongside the commissioning , social work and Direct Payments team to gather data on local employers and create useful data visualizations' to assist in decision making regarding the setting of indicative personal budgets. 

We also worked with Bristol City Council to refresh their policy documents and to develop additional guidance for local practitioners and families.