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Disability Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021

Tuesday, 27 July 2021

Questions (1432)

Richard Bruton

Question:

1432. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his Department has received a report on the pilot personalised budget for persons with a disability; and if this is a measure which he would like to see expanded. [33181/21]

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Written answers

The report of the Task Force on Personalised Budgets was launched by Minister McGrath in July 2018. The report set out how personalised budgets could work as a funding mechanism for people with a disability.

Personalised budgets can help to provide people with disabilities with greater choice and control over the services and supports they receive.

The Task Force reviewed national and international research and consulted with service users and their families. They recommended that the Department of Health, with the HSE, should establish a pilot project to test the delivery of personalised budgets - the aim being to identify the best approach to roll-out personalised budgets following this pilot phase.

Funding can be spent on specific personal supports funded by the HSE such as employing your own support worker or having support staff at a time you choose. These supports will be agreed and identified in a personal support plan for each participant. The funding is allocated by the HSE.

Funding cannot be spent on informal care from a partner or close relative or to pay for supports that would normally be provided by another Government Department or Statutory Agency, e.g. housing.

The Personalised Budget pilot is open to adults with a disability that are currently in receipt of HSE funded services. This included appropriate school leavers in 2019 and 2020.

It is hoped that the pilot will have up to 180 participants over two phases who access day services, residential services, respite services, rehabilitative training and personal assistance.

Some other variables that the HSE are also considering in relation to the sample of participants include types of disability, complexity of need, CHO and type of funding models.

In order to take part in the pilot, participants submitted an expression of interest. Expressions of interest for phase 2 closed in September 2020 and the HSE received 136 applications. Due to COVID-19 there was a pause in processing applications, so applications are still being processed.

There are currently 55 participants in the various stages of the pilot. This means that the pilot is running behind schedule. This is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the closure of services, and then the knock-on effect that this has had in making it difficult to recruit staff for the HSE team. The current restrictions are negatively impacting with the HSE’s ability to meet with individuals and progress.

The Personalised Budget Office continues to embed the option of Personalised Budgets in each CHO through regular linking with Disability Managers and Day Opportunity Co-ordinators, to offer advice and problem solving for participants.

In November 2020, I approved an extension to the pilot project until June 2022. This will facilitate applicant participation of 12 months minimum and allow time for a robust evaluation to be completed thereafter.

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