Purpose

The County Council is committed
to giving customers choice and control over their support services;
one method of enabling this is through Direct Payments, where the
customer receives a cash allocation to spend in a way which they
consider will meet their assessed care needs. A Direct Payment
Support Service (DPSS) is required to ensure that people can
receive the appropriate advice and support to make the best use of
their money. It also supports the County Council to ensure that
Direct Payments are used lawfully and effectively.
 
In November 2018 Key
Decision
AH6 17.18 approved the award of contract for a
Direct Payment and Personal Budget Support Service. In
November 2021 Key Decision
OKD26 21.22 approved a 2-year contract extension for the Direct
Payment and Personal Health Budget Support Service from 01 February
2022 to 31 January 2024. The contract allows for a further two year
extension. 
 
Agreement will be sought from
the Director of Adults and Health to extend the DPSS contract for a
further 2 years, allowed within the contract.
 

Decision

The Director of Adults and Health has approved
a 2-year contract extension and variation of the Direct Payment
Support Service contract with Independent Lives from February 2024
– February 2026, at a total cost of £814k.