Self-Directed Support

Self-Directed support options

Your support can be managed in four different ways.  Some elements of your plan for support might lend themselves more to one option than others, but the
worker helping you through this process will discuss this with you in more detail.

Option 1

Direct Payment - the Council transfers the money to you so you can arrange support for yourself, to buy the care you need from an agency or employ your own staff to support you such as a Personal Assistant. This gives you the greatest level of control but you must keep a record of how the money is spent. 

Option 2

If you are not confident about directly managing your support, then we can help. You will still choose what support you want and how it will be provided, but the Council will manage it for you.  This option is mainly designed to be an alternative to direct payments (Option 1) without the need for the supported person to take on responsibility for the financial administration and the organisation of their support.

Option 3

You can ask for your support to be arranged for you by the Council, and provided either directly by Council staff or by someone else on behalf of the Council.

Option 4

This is a combination of the other options and allows you to let the Council manage some parts of your support package, while giving you direct control of some elements of your support. The money to fund the parts of your support which you will manage will be paid into a bank account in the same way as described in the Direct Payments option.

Financial costs

In most cases the Council will meet the majority of the costs for providing your support.  A contributions policy was implemented which asks everyone who receives adult care services (with certain exemptions including Free Personal Care) to pay a contribution towards the total cost of their support.

You will be offered a Financial Assessment to ensure that you are not asked to pay more than you can afford.

Further information

SDS is also available to children and young people.

For more information you can contact Perth & Kinross Council's Self-Directed Support Team on 01738 476189 or email selfdirectedsupport@pkc.gov.uk.

We have also provided a  glossary of terms (PDF) [170KB] often used within Self-Directed Support.

Visit the Scottish Government's Self-Directed Support website which gives detailed information on how Self-Directed Support can work for you.

You can follow the latest Personalisation and Self-Directed Support news for Perth and Kinross by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.

The Scottish Government's SDS User Guide is also available in British Sign Language through a series of videos on the Self-Directed Support information. This User Guide is also available in braille, if you are interested please contact the Early Intervention and Prevention Team on 0345 30 111 20.