Questions and Answers
Q What is Right to Control?
A Many disabled people have been saying for a long time that they do not feel they have control over the support they need to go about their daily lives.
Right to Control is a new legal right which recognises that disabled people are the experts in their own lives and will often know what support they need to achieve their desired outcomes.
Those who are eligible and opt for Right to Control will, if receiving one or more of the following public body services, be able to choose how money is spent to support them:-
· Adult Social Care
· Access to Work
· Disability Facilities Grant
· Work Choice
· Independent Living Fund
· Housing Related Support
They will be able to choose how they receive their support:
· use the support service that is offered if they are happy with the service
· let the public body arrange a different support service
· where possible, buy their own support using money given to them by a public body
· have a mix of these.
Q Who developed Right to Control?
A The concept is part of the government’s commitment to disabled people to ensure equality of access to services as laid down in their document vision 2025. It is a commitment across a political parties.
It is a co-production process with disabled people and their organisations.
Q Who will be eligible for Right to Control?
A Right to Control will only be available to disabled people who live in Leicester or in one of 6 other trailblazer areas in England. The government will be evaluating the Right to Control prior to deciding how to roll out the right nationally.
Q Who is a disabled person?
A The definition of a disabled person is defined within the Equality Act 2010 and will involve the vast majority of people who will be eligible to receive the services as outlined.
The Act defines a disabled person as a person with ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.
Q Who is involved in developing Leicester’s Right to Control Programme?
A Leicester’s programme is a partnership involving the city council, Jobcentre Plus and Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living.
Q What services are included in Leicester’s Right to Control programme and when will it go live?
A From 13 December, disabled people in Leicester will be entitled to the Right to Control if they are a new applicant for one or more of the support services below. People who are already receiving support will be offered the Right to Control when their needs are next assessed after 13 December.
- Access to Work
- Work Choice
- Adult Social Care
- Housing Related Support
- Disabled Facilities Grant
Disabled people who already receive support from the Independent Living Fund will also be entitled to the Right to Control.
Q. Will people be entitled to receive Right to control at a review stage?
No – only people who are gong through a formal reassessment will be offered the Right to Control
Q. What does opting for Right to Control mean?
A By opting for this programme, disabled people will be given access to information and support that will enable them to have greater control and choice over the way support services can be made available. This process does not affect entitlement to receiving services in the traditional way if that is what they choose.
Q What are the different ways of having choice and control that Right to Control offers?
A People who opt for Right to Control can choose:-
– for the public body to arrange for services or equipment that they need, as far as it reasonably practicable to so
– to take a cash payment and buy services or equipment and support themselves
– a combination of services or equipment arranged on their behalf and a cash payment.
Q What does the Right to Control legislation say?
A A disabled person who is eligible for any of the Right to Control support services must be given information about:-
- what Right to Control is
- an indication of the amount of funding they are eligible to receive
- details of the other Right to Control funding streams and how to access them.
Q What is a support plan?
A A support plan is a record of what a person wants to achieve, what support or action they need in order to do this, how they will have choice and control over the support they need and how they will spend the money available to them. Opting for Right to Control involves developing a support plan across all of the agencies involved. This process will greatly reduce the number of reviews undertaken by different agencies and be less intrusive to disabled people.
Q What information goes into a support plan?
A It must include the following:-
– details of the financial contributions and funding streams or sources (including own resources)
– outcomes to be achieved
– what is being put in place to meet the outcomes
– how the money will be managed, and by whom
– how the money will be paid
– what the review arrangements are
– who is he lead agency
– who to contact if questions arise
Q Where can more information be found about Right to Control?
A More information about right to control is available on the Office of Disability Issues website www.odi.gov.uk/right-to-control.
The Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living, an organisation run by and for disabled people, will be able to provide information and advice to support disabled people during the programme. Their contact details are as follows:-
Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living (LCIL)
5-9 Upper Brown Street, Leicester LE1 5TE.
Telephone: 0116 2225005
Text 07910864594
The telephone contact details for each of Leicester’s Right to Control support services are:-
|
Contact Details |
|
Opening Hours |
|
Access to Work |
Phil Baker 01476 513114 Paul Johnson 01455 542035 | |
|
Work Choice |
Telephone: 0845 604 3719. TexBox 0845-608-8551 | |
|
Adult Social Care |
Telephone: 0116 252 7004 Minicom/TexBox: 0116 252 7011 | |
|
Housing Related Support |
Telephone: 0116 2373 7026 | |
|
Disability Facilities Grant |
Telephone: 0116 221 1303 | |
|
Independent Living Fund |
Telephone: 0845 601 8815 or 0115 9450 700 Textphone: 0845 601 8816 | |
