What is Self-directed Support?
The Scottish Government believes everyone should be in control of their life. Some people need support to lead an independent life and advocacy to be empowered to make important decisions about their lives.
To achieve this, the Scottish Government introduced The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013. The Act came into force on 01 April 2014 and placed a duty on local authority social work departments to offer people eligible for social care a range of choices over how they receive their social care and support.
Self-directed Support allows people, their carers and their families to make informed choices on what their support looks like and how it is delivered, making it possible to meet agreed personal outcomes.
Having more choice and control is empowering. We should all be equal partners in making decisions that affect us, leading to more of us being confident and independent and achieving our aspirations for a happier, healthier and more fulfilled life.
Support and care have a vital role in ensuring everyone can enjoy the same human rights – dignity, equality of opportunity and access. And, having greater control of your life and decision making leads to improved health and wellbeing.
Self-directed Support includes various options to ensure everyone can exercise choice and control.
Following an assessment by your local authorities, the social work department self-directed support offers four options.
Option One
You receive a direct payment from the local authority, you manage the budget and you choose your care provider.
Option Two
The local authority controls the budget but you choose your care provider.
Option Three
The local authority organises your care provider for you.
Option Four
Any mixture of the 3 options.