Introduction

North East Lincolnshire Council, Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Navigo and focus independent adult social work (‘we’) are thinking about making some changes to the way we make direct payments, and the way we help people who get direct payments.  We are asking people to tell us what they think about our ideas for change. This is called a consultation.

We are talking to people to find out what they think of our ideas between 1st October 2020 and 31st December 2020. These ideas are only about adults who get a direct payment from social care, mental health or continuing healthcare. This includes people with care needs and carers with support needs.

What do we want to know?

About 360 people in North East Lincolnshire get direct payments, as a regular or one off payment.  We would like to know what is good about getting a direct payment, and what could be better.  Where someone gets help to manage their direct payment from an organisation, we want to know what is important about that help.   We are thinking about how to make the best use of resources (money and time), both for us and for people who use direct payments.    

We want to have a clear agreement with organisations that help with direct payments so that everyone needing help is clear about what help they get at what cost.  We also want to give people direct payments using direct payment cards.  Direct payment cards work a bit like a debit card and can be used like a simple bank account.  We think this will be easier for people with a direct payment to use, and easier for us too.  These are the ideas that we are consulting about.

How can people have their say?

We have sent questionnaires in the post to people we think might be directly affected by our ideas for change.  If you have a direct payment to meet your own needs or you receive a direct payment on bhalf of someone with needs, you can access the questions we are asking by clicking the following external link: https://directpayments.questionpro.eu.

The questions we are asking are worded for people who have a direct payment. 

Alternatively, if you care for someone who has a direct payment, or you work with people who have direct payments, or just have thoughts to share, you can give your views by clicking the following external link: https://directpaymentsnonrecipients.questionpro.eu

We have worded the questions we are asking slightly differently for people who don't receive a direct payment.

We are hosting some public events which you can attend online.  At these events we will tell you what our ideas are, and give you chance to tell us what you think.  Please pick which session suits you best from the following (the same session is being run twice):

• Session 1 – Wednesday 4th November 2020, 1:30 - 2:30pm
• Session 2 – Thursday 12th November 2020, 6:30 - 7:30pm.

If you would like to attend a session, please email Healthwatch at enquiries@healthwatchnortheastlincolnshire.co.uk and they will send you a link to attend via zoom. 

How can I get some help with having my say?

Healthwatch is the independent champion for people who use health and care services.  Healthwatch listens to what people like about services and what they feel could be better.  Healthwatch has the power to make sure those running services hear people’s voices. 

If you want:

• any help to complete the questionnaire online
• any help to complete the questionnaire you have received in the post
• the questionnaire to be posted to you in a different format
• or you want to ask questions

please ring Healthwatch on 01472 361459 or send an email to  enquiries@healthwatchnortheastlincolnshire.co.uk .

Is there a local policy on direct payments?

You can read a draft of the direct payment policy by clicking the following link: Draft Direct Payment Policy.  Depending on what decisions are made at the end of our talks with you, the draft policy may need to change to reflect those decisions.      

The draft policy is only intended to offer an idea of what the policy might look like after our talks with you have ended and decisions have been made. We have published the draft policy because we would like to give people the opportunity to comment on it.  If you want to comment on the policy itself, please send an email to Emma Overton at the following address emmaoverton@nhs.net before 31st December 2020.  

What happens at the end of our talks with you?

The consultation closes on 31st December 2020. At the end of our talks with you, we will write a report on what people have said.  We will use the report to make a decision about direct payments.  We will make a decision early in 2021.  We hope that we can make any changes from April 2021.

Depending on our decision, this could mean that from April 2021:

• We will stop making direct payments the way we do now, and make direct payments using direct payment cards instead
• People who get help to manage their direct payment from an organisation might get their help from a different organisation
• People who get help to manage their direct payment might have less choice about which organisation they get it from.

We will publish our decision on the CCG website early in 2021.

What is the link between these talks on direct payments and the talks on the adult social care charging policy earlier in the year?

Our current talks about direct payments are separate from any earlier talks about how much adults pay towards the costs of their adult social care.