Eligibility
To receive a Personal Budget, we first have to be sure that you meet the Fair Access to Care Services (FACS). This is a national framework by the Department of Health to help councils decide who is eligible for services. The Council has a duty to provide services only to people who meet the criteria. The first step is to meet with a Social Care Practitioner to see if you are eligible. You can find out more information about eligibility either from the Department of Health (www.dh.gov.uk) or via our First Response Team tel: 01983 814980.
On the Isle of Wight, services are given to people who meet the Category 1 (Critical) level of risk and Category 2 (Substantial) level of risk. People with moderate and low bands do not meet our eligibility criteria and so will not get a specific service, but we will still provide advice and information about other sources of help or ways of solving difficulties. Click here to see the Isle of Wight’s eligibility criteria.
Shared Assessment
After it has been established that you meet the eligibility criteria, the next step is to complete a Shared Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ). The shared assessment is a questionnaire that identifies your support needs. There are a series of questions you will need to answer that look at all aspects of your life. For each question, there is a list of possible answers. You will need to choose the answer that best describes your needs. The assessment will help the Council to make a fair and open decision about who gets what money to meet their support needs. Each of the answers has a value, the more needs you have the higher the points scored. Your points are added up to get a final score which is used to work out how much money can be allocated to you. This amount of money is called your ‘Indicative Allocation’ which is a guide amount to allow you to prepare your support plan. This amount may change depending on your costed support plan.
Financial
When your Social Care Practitioner has been to see you and together you have made the decision that you require services from us to support you, the Social Care Practitioner will make a referral to the financial assessment team. They will then contact you to arrange a visit, where they will go through your finances. A decision will be made regarding the amount you will be required to contribute towards the cost of the services. They will also help you claim for any benefits you may be entitled to. Click here for more information about financial assessments.