Right to Control winning councils named
The next step in a radical shake-up of the way disabled people use state funding took place today, as Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People, named the Trailblazer areas which will test the Right to Control.
Right to Control gives disabled adults more choice and control over the state funding they receive – allowing them to shape the support they receive, or use the money to buy their own services or equipment.
Disabled people in the Trailblazer areas can expect a more personalised service joining up housing, support into work and community care. There will also be extra support and advice to help people choose services and decide how to spend their money.
Under the Right to Control, disabled people will be able to organise their current support arrangements to better meet their needs, choose a cash payment to buy their own support services or equipment, or have a mixture of both. Alternatively, if people are happy with the support they currently receive, they won’t have to change anything.
The eight councils are:
- Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Sheffield City Council (joint)
- Essex County Council
- Greater Manchester – incorporating Manchester City Council, Oldham Council, Bury Council, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council and Trafford Council
- Leicester City Council
- London Borough of Barnet
- London Borough of Newham
- Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, and
- Surrey County Council (two Districts Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, and Reigate and Banstead Borough Council)
Each of these local authorities will have to work with disabled people to develop individual support plans and each plan will make effective use of all the funding available to an individual, to meet their goals.
Some £7 million will be available for Trailblazer local authorities and Jobcentre Plus to make the changes necessary to deliver the Right to Control.
Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People, said:
“Disabled people are the experts in their own lives and that is why, through the Right to Control, we have worked with them to give people more control over the funding they receive and the services they use.
“Jobcentre Plus will be working closely with the local authorities in the Trailblazer areas to help to deliver this greater independence that disabled people tell me they want.”
“The local authorities announced today will be at the forefront of this innovative approach to delivering services to disabled people, and will help identify whether Right to Control should be rolled out more widely.”
