£1m Funding Boost For Social Care In Wirral

Neglected horses find a new home thanks to Wirral Council Plans to improve adult social services for thousands of Wirral residents have received a £1million boost.

The extra funding comes from the Reform Grant and will be used to help fund Individual Budgets, part of the Government’s ‘Transforming Social Care’ agenda.

Cllr Moira McLaughlin, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Inclusion, said: “Individual Budgets are about thinking about public services and social care in an entirely different way – starting with the person rather than the service.

“They give people who have care needs the power to decide the nature of their own support – people can choose to use the money to fund the care that suits them best and fits in with their lifestyle – for example by having someone support them at home rather than going into residential care.

“Individual Budgets are designed to give people more choice, flexibility and control over their personal care, as well as a better quality of life.”

The aim of Individual Budgets is to give individuals the power to decide the nature of their own support. An Individual Budget brings together resources from different funding streams into a single sum that can be spent flexibly in accordance with their needs and preferences.

They can have the money paid to them directly and then make their own arrangements to meet their needs, or ask the Council to provide services, or a mixture of both.

Cllr McLaughlin continued: “Individual budgets can put people back in control of their own care, and give them a better quality of life.

“This extra funding, together with significant funds already allocated by the Council, will mean we can do even more to improve and personalise our services for the thousands of Wirral residents who rely on us.”