Welcome to Cumbria`s Self Directed Support with Personal Budgets website

Self directed support enables people who need social care and support services to have greater choice and control over the services they receive.

Direct payments are a form of self directed support and we have made these available to our service users since 1996.  However, we are now offering our service users self directed support with personal budgets.

Self directed support with personal budgets is a way in which you can be more involved in arranging the social care services you need.  It puts you at the centre of everything making sure the services you receive help you achieve the things most important to you.

We implemented self directed support with personal budgets for older people, people with physical disabilities and people with learning disabilities in November 2009.  Working with colleagues in the NHS, we are now working on implementing self directed support for social care services in mental health which is planned to start in April 2011.

This website is for service users and carers and tells you more about self directed support with personal budgets and how it works.

There is also a 'professionals zone' where professionals such as Adult Social Care staff, service providers, health service colleagues and voluntary organisations can find out more detail about our work to implement self directed support with personal budgets.