Personal Budgets - Agreeing Levels of Funding

  • How we will decide Assessments and Levels of Funding?
  • How do Personal Budgets work for children who currently receive support from the Disabled Children’s Team?
  • RAS banding tables
  • How the Banding works for Children Age 7 plus?


Personal Budgets - Agreeing Levels of Funding

The council recognises that as children grow older additional funding may be required to continue to meet the child/young person’s needs.

For children under 7 we will provide funding based upon the conclusion of the assessment rather than using the RAS tool.

Our funding offers vary on the basis of age and to reflect this we use one of two RAS questionnaires, 7-11 and 11+.

After the age of 7 we see resource allocation questionnaires as helpful in contributing to an understanding of the child’s needs because a child’s development typically slows down. The child’s social care worker will therefore complete a resource allocation questionnaire with the family from age 7.

Once the assessment and RAS are completed a funding offer can be made. Families with a need for “exceptional support” will receive a high proportion of the budget and those with a need for “some support” will receive a smaller proportion of our overall budget.

Level of need

The bands of support we use to guide funding offers are:

  • No Support (no specialist services required)
  • Small support
  • Some support
  • Lots of support
  • Exceptional support

Each band of support carries with it a different level of funding and is described in detail in the introduction of the Resource Allocation Questionnaire.

How do Personal Budgets work for children who currently receive support from the Disabled Children’s Team?

The council is putting in place an interim arrangement forfamilies who currently use support from the Disabled Children’s Service to support them to move to a Personal Budget offer within the assessment process.

In this arrangement families will need to be re-assessed and use the RAS questionnaire. We will be doing this gradually and will contact you to arrange a review. Families can also request a Personal Budget when they are in the process of converting their Statement of Educational Need into an Education, Health and Care Plan.

The outcome of the reassessment may indicate that the funding for the child’s needs should result in a significantly lower funding offer. In these circumstances the council would offer a Personal Budget 25% lower than the present cost of the child’s package or the amount shown on the proposed funding allocation table, whichever was the greater sum. We will leave no child at risk or in significant need following any reduction in service.

The outcome of the reassessment may indicate that the funding for the child’s needs should result in a significantly higher funding offer. In these circumstances the council would offer a higher Personal Budget, however this would never exceed 25% more than the current level provision and any increase would need to be made on the basis of new outcomes or risks being identified through the assessment.

Social care workers will review your plan and will discuss with you how you’re funding compares to the allocation table and develop a new plan with you.

Disabled Children’s Social CareRAS Allocation Table

Primary aged school children.(Over 7 Key stage 2)

Assessed needs and Access Criteria / RAS
Points
Score / Indicative
budget
per year
No Support (no specialistsupport required)
Under 69 points means the child’s needs are established andgood outcomes can be met through universal services / 0-75 / n/a
Small Support- Low level needs
Between 70 and 115 points to a budget of up to £500 per year is available to support a child’s involvement in activities they enjoy.This will be managed through early intervention / 76-125 / £750
Indicates a higher level of need within the small support band. At this score an Individual Budget may be required if universal services cannot meet the child’s needs. / 126-145 / £1,500
Indicates the highest level of small support and shows usually that there is a mix of needs for support depending on the child’s activities. An Individual Budget may be required if universal services cannot meet the child’s needs. / 145-160 / £2,800
Some Support Moderate Support Needs
The child has continuing support needs and will require an Individual Budget to meet assessed need if universal services cannot meet all identified needs / 160-174 / £3,500
Indicates a higher level of some support. The child has continuing support needs and will require an Individual Budget need if universal services cannot meet all identified needs / 175-189 / £4,000
Indicates the highest level of some support needs and shows that there is a mix of needs identified including some 1:1 support an Individual Budget may be required if universal services cannot meet the child’s needs. / 190-204 / £5,500
Lots of Support - High Level Needs
The child has significant one to one support needs and will require substantial funding through an Individual Budget / 205-219 / £6,000
Indicates a higher level of some support with some scores indicating exceptional support in some areas / 220-234 / £7,500
Exceptional Support -Very Complex Needs and/or Exceptional Circumstances
The child has high care needs and requires a multidisciplinary discussion about how education and health funding will work in tandem with the substantial social care Individual Budget / 235-249 / £10,000
Indicates a higher level of Exceptional Support. The child has high care needs and requires a multidisciplinary discussion about how education and health funding will work in tandem with the substantial social care Individual Budget / 250-264 / £12,500
Indicates the highest level of Exceptional support. The child has high care needs and requires a multidisciplinary discussion about how education and health funding will work in tandem with the substantial social care Individual Budget / 265 plus / £15,000

Disabled Childrens Social CareRAS allocation table

Secondary aged school children.(Key stage 3 and 4)

Assessed needs and access criteria / RAS
Points
Score / Indicative
budget
per year
No Support (no specialistsupport required)
Under 69 points means the young person’s needs are established andgood outcomes can be met through universal services / 0-75 / n/a
Small Support- Low level needs
Between 70 and 115 points to a budget of up to £500 per year is available to support a young person’s involvement in activities they enjoy.This will be managed through early intervention / 76-125 / £750
Indicates a higher level of need within the small support band. At this score an Individual Budget may be required if universal services cannot meet the young person’s needs. / 126-145 / £1,500
Indicates the highest level of small support and shows usually that there is a mix of needs for support depending on the young person’s activities. An Individual Budget may be required if universal services cannot meet the child’s needs. / 145-160 / £2,800
Some Support Moderate Support Needs
The child has continuing support needs and will require an Individual Budget to meet assessed need if universal services cannot meet all identified needs / 160-174 / £3,500
Indicates a higher level of some support. The young person has continuing support needs and will require an Individual Budget need if universal services cannot meet all identified needs / 175-189 / £4,000
Indicates the highest level of some support needs and shows that there is a mix of needs identified including some 1:1 support an Individual Budget may be required if universal services cannot meet the young person’s needs. / 190-204 / £5,500
Lots of Support - High Level Needs
The young person has significant one to one support needs and will require substantial funding through an Individual Budget / 205-219 / £6,000
Indicates a higher level of some support with some scores indicating exceptional support in some areas / 220-234 / £7,500
Exceptional Support -Very Complex Needs and/or Exceptional Circumstances
The young person has high care needs and requires a multidisciplinary discussion about how education and health funding will work in tandem with the substantial social care Individual Budget / 235-249 / £11,000
Indicates a higher level of Exceptional Support. The young person has high care needs and requires a multidisciplinary discussion about how education and health funding will work in tandem with the substantial social care Individual Budget / 250-264 / £16,000
Indicates the highest level of Exceptional Support. The child has high care needs and requires a multidisciplinary discussion about how education and health funding will work in tandem with the substantial social care Individual Budget / 265 plus / £17,500

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How the Banding works for Children Age 7 plus

No support (no specialist services required)

A personal budget is not offered for children and young people who are assessed as meeting the “no support” band. The Disabled Children's HUBs run by KIDS can provide information about local inclusive and specialist activities available through the Short Break Local Offer, this includes an offer of 40 hours activities funded by the Council for all disabled children. Please contact the HUBs to apply. The HUBs directory is a useful source of up to date information about services available, it is available on their website

Small support

Children/young people assessed in the “Small Support- low level needs” band may receive a brief period of help or referral to other services, however they will not in general need to receive an ongoing social work service. This usually means that the child is not eligible for an ongoing Personal Budget but may receive some short term funding after which the Kids HUB’s are best suited to provide advice about services available.

Lots of Support and Exceptional Support

The social work team is involved and considers the use of a Personal Budget in addition to connecting children to mainstream opportunities to be the best support for a child when:

  • The Child/young person is assessed in the higher sections of “small support” through to “some support”. In this case need may not be met through the use of mainstream services or small amounts of funding alone. These are children who need support to access activities; staff may need awareness training and the child may need 1:1 support for a limited time with new activities and in some situations.
  • The Child/young person is assessed in “lots of support needs” which describes children who require 1:1 support constantly.
  • The Child/young person is assessed in “exceptional support needs” which describes a range of needs which are greater than 1:1 support.

When children who have been assessed as having complex levels of needs (children who are in the ‘Lots of Support’ to ‘Exceptional Support’ bands and require 1:1 or 2:1 support at all times in all situations) the social worker will explore whether education and health individual funding is also available to help support the child/young person in all aspects of their life in addition to the social care offer.

For further information on personal budgets please visit:

Or call customer services team and ask to speak to a member of the Disabled Children’s Team on:

0300 123 403

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