The Care Act - Direct Payments

Overview

The local authority must inform the person which, if any, of their needs may be met by a direct payment and provide appropriate information and advice on how to use and manage direct payments.

Audience

This course is intended for:
  • People who have a role in care and support planning and the administering and monitoring of direct payments
  • Staff employed by local authorities who are responsible for care and support planning and the administration and monitoring of direct payments
  • Managers of people undertaking care and support planning and the deployment of personal budgets
  • About this course

    This course forms part of the suite of e-learning courses that have been developed to support the implementation of part one of the Care Act 2014. It is based upon the Skills for Care training materials.

    Upon successful completion of both modules you will be automatically awarded a certificate containing the course name, completion date, CPD hours and learning objectives.

    The course contains additional resource materials, useful links and refresher guides.

    Objectives

    In this course you will learn:

  • The importance of providing relevant and timely information and advice
  • The role of the nominated person and the authorised person
  • The four conditions when a person has capacity
  • The five conditions when a person lacks capacity
  • Administering, monitoring, reviewing and discontinuing direct payments
  • Payments, on-costs, contingencies and employment costs
  • Safeguarding through direct payments
  • Paying family members
  • Short-term and long-term care in a care home
  • Becoming an employer
  • Direct payments for local authority services
  • Direct payments in the form of pre-payment cards

    Content

    Here are some of the topics covered in this course:

    Direct payments; Information and advice; Nominated and authorised persons; Legal obligations of the nominated person; Can a direct payment be made directly to the nominated person?; Monitoring direct payments; Personal budget; Request for a direct payment; Assessing capacity; Adults with capacity; Adults without capacity; All the conditions must be met; Administering direct payments; Effective use of public money; Paying the authority back; Limits on how budgets are used; Payment and additional costs; Combining budgets; Reviewing direct payments; Discontinuing direct payments; Terminating direct payments; No gap in support; What should the local authority do when a person loses capacity?; What should the local authority do when a person regains capacity?; Safeguarding; Paying family members; ‘Care’ and ‘Administration’; Who pays private agencies?; Long-term care in a care home; Short term care in a care home; Limits on short term care; Why is the time limit?; Direct payments and hospital stays; Using a direct payment while in hospital; When a nominated or authorised person is in hospital; Becoming an employer; Help for those employing PAs; Local authority responsibilities; Direct payments for local authority services; Purchasing from another local authority; Pre-payment cards