Choice, flexibility and control

Personal Budgets & Direct Payments

Moreways Healthcare supports people to use personal budgets, direct payments and other personalised funding arrangements to access care and support that reflects their needs, preferences, daily routines and long-term goals.

Personalised funding

Support arranged around you

A personal budget is an amount of money identified to meet a person’s eligible care and support needs. It can provide greater choice over how support is arranged, who delivers it and how agreed outcomes are achieved.

Moreways Healthcare works with individuals, families, representatives, local authorities, NHS teams and other professionals to develop safe, flexible and person-centred support arrangements. We can deliver support through direct payments, Individual Service Funds, commissioned packages and other agreed funding pathways.

01

Personal Budgets

A personal budget sets out the funding available to meet eligible care and support needs following an assessment. The budget forms part of an agreed care and support plan and should be used to achieve the outcomes identified with the person.

Explore the options

02

Direct Payments

A direct payment allows eligible funding to be paid directly to the person, or to an authorised or nominated representative, so that suitable care and support can be arranged with greater control and flexibility.

Understand direct payments

How we support you

Greater choice without compromising quality or safety

Your support should reflect your assessed needs, personal circumstances, communication preferences and aspirations. We work collaboratively to make sure your package is practical, accountable and focused on meaningful outcomes.

Flexible Support

Support can be arranged around daily routines, appointments, education, employment, family life, community participation and personal goals.

Person-Centred Planning

We develop support plans collaboratively, identifying the person’s strengths, preferences, risks, desired outcomes and the support required to achieve them.

Regular Reviews

Support is reviewed as needs, circumstances and goals change, helping the package remain proportionate, responsive and focused on progress.

Who may be eligible?

Accessing a personal budget

Eligibility is normally determined following an assessment by a local authority or NHS team. The assessment identifies eligible needs, agreed outcomes and the level of funding required to meet them.

The process may include:

  • an assessment of care and support needs;
  • identification of eligible needs and personal outcomes;
  • agreement of an indicative or final budget;
  • development of a care and support plan;
  • selection of an appropriate funding arrangement; and
  • regular review of the support package and expenditure.

Funding arrangements

Ways a personal budget may be managed

  • Direct payment

    Funding is paid directly to the individual, or to an authorised or nominated person acting on their behalf. This allows the person to arrange and pay for agreed care and support directly, giving them greater choice over the provider they use, how their support is organised and how it fits around their daily life.

  • Local authority-managed budget

    The local authority holds and manages the allocated budget and arranges the agreed care and support on the person’s behalf. This option may be suitable for someone who wants personalised support but would prefer the local authority to remain responsible for commissioning the service and managing the associated payments.

  • Individual Service Fund

    An agreed support provider manages the allocated funding on the person’s behalf while working closely with them, their representatives and relevant professionals. The person remains involved in deciding how the available support is used, how it is delivered and how it will contribute towards their agreed needs and outcomes.

  • Combined arrangement

    A personal budget may be managed through a combination of different arrangements. For example, one part of the support package may be organised by the local authority while another part is funded through a direct payment or managed through an Individual Service Fund, depending on the person’s needs and preferences.

Our support

What your budget may help you access

The precise use of funding must be consistent with the agreed care and support plan. Depending on assessed needs and commissioning arrangements, Moreways Healthcare may provide support with:

Supported living
Community-based support
Independent living skills
Personal care, where agreed
Medication support
Attending appointments
Education and employment goals
Social and community participation
Meal preparation and household tasks
Building confidence and independence

Frequently asked questions

Personal budgets and direct payments explained

A personal budget is the amount of funding identified to meet a person’s eligible care and support needs. It is normally established following an assessment and forms part of an agreed care and support plan.

The budget should be used to help achieve the outcomes recorded in that plan and may be managed in several different ways.

A direct payment is one way of receiving a personal budget. Funding is paid directly to the person, or to an authorised or nominated representative, so that agreed care and support can be arranged and paid for directly.

The person remains responsible for ensuring that the funding is used appropriately and in accordance with the relevant agreement and care plan.

An Individual Service Fund, often referred to as an ISF, is an arrangement in which an agreed provider holds and manages the allocated funding on the person’s behalf.

The provider works collaboratively with the individual to decide how the available support should be used to meet agreed needs and outcomes.

Yes. Subject to assessment, compatibility, service availability and agreement of the support arrangements, Moreways Healthcare can provide support funded through direct payments, Individual Service Funds, local authority-commissioned packages and other personalised funding arrangements.

We will review the referral, the person’s assessment, desired outcomes, risks and proposed funding before confirming whether we can meet the identified needs safely and effectively.

In some circumstances, a nominated or authorised person may manage the funding on the individual’s behalf. The exact arrangement depends on capacity, consent, local authority or NHS requirements and any relevant legal authority.

The funding body should confirm who is permitted to receive, administer and account for the payment.

Yes. Support needs and personal goals may change. The care and support plan should therefore be reviewed regularly, and the funding body may reassess the budget where there has been a material change in circumstances.

Moreways Healthcare also reviews the delivery of support to ensure it remains appropriate, proportionate and focused on agreed outcomes.

A personal health budget is an amount of NHS funding allocated to meet identified health and wellbeing needs. It is planned and agreed between the individual, or their representative, and the relevant NHS team.

An integrated personal budget may combine funding from both the NHS and a local authority where health and social care needs are being addressed together.

Looking for flexible, personalised support?

Speak to Moreways Healthcare about using a personal budget, direct payment, Individual Service Fund or commissioned package to arrange support around your assessed needs and goals.