Plymouth City Council is leading the way in Devon and Cornwall with its plans to modernise the delivery of social care and support.

The Council will be the first in the peninsula to give residents prepaid cards to buy care services, if the plans are approved by the Cabinet at its meeting on 7 February.

The Personal Budget Policy sets out how the Council aims to meet the government target of everyone having a personal budget and direct payment to buy social care services by April 2013.

This is a personalised system where people are assessed and told up front how much Council money they are eligible for. With the help of a care manager they can then decide how to use the money to set up the support they need. This gives people choice and control over how their money is spent on services.

If people have direct payments, the money is paid directly to a separate bank account so they can use that money to buy care services for their assessed needs. A prepaid cards removes the need for a bank account. The cards are credited with the personal budget which can then be used to pay care providers, suppliers and employees. The cards are easy to operate, efficient and reduce the risk of fraud. They give people the maximum freedom, choice and flexibility to use their money to arrange services which the Council will monitor.

Councillor Grant Monahan, Cabinet Member for Adult Health and Social Care said: “Personal budgets have been proven to have a positive effect on people’s well-being, on increased choice and control, cost implications and improving outcomes for people. We want to help support people to improve their lives and continue to live as independently as possible. The Personal Budget Policy will also continue to stimulate the social care market place, reduce spend on back office functions and allow money to be redirected to frontline services.

“The use of prepaid cards takes personal budgets to another level and makes the whole process easier for people.”