Purpose

It is a statutory duty as defined by the Care
Act 2014, to offer a person a Direct Payment as a cash alternative
to a directly commissioned care and support service where a person
has been assessed as having eligible needs. This applies both to
carers and people in need of care and support. The regulations of
the Children Act 1989 also place a duty on Local Authorities to
offer a Direct Payment to disabled children.
 
The review of Direct Payments was presented to
the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee on 29 November
2022 and approval was given to explore how a Personal Assistant
(PA) register could best be delivered with the intention of
increasing the numbers of people, carers and families choosing to
use a Direct Payment. This report sets out the options as they
relate to the Personal Assistant (PA) register as identified by the
Direct Payments working group. The proposed model (Appendix 1) and
Implementation Plan (Appendix 2).
 
This review has been a collaborative exercise
and included, as equal partners, officers of the Council, people
with lived experience, and representatives from Cheshire and Wirral
Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) and the Wirral Community
Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHCFT). The report supports
the following priorities from the Council’s Wirral Plan:
 
· Working for safe and vibrant communities
where our residents feel safe and are proud to live and raise their
families.
· Working to provide happy, active, and
healthy lives for all, with the right care at the right time to
enable residents to live longer and healthier lives
 

Decision

Resolved –
that,
 
1. The proposed
service model (Appendix 1) and implementation plan (Appendix 2) be
endorsed
 
2. The Director of
Adult Social Care and Health be authorised to progress with
implementation of phase 2 of the proposed service model as detailed
in Appendix 1 , commence the proposed
procurement exercise and award the contract.
 
3. A further report
be brought to a future Committee with proposals for implementation
of the remaining phases of the model.