Accessing our Services
Accessing our Services
How to Access Our Services
There are a number of steps to be taken before individuals can access our services. Whether you are an individual, parent, carer or a professional, we will support and guide you through the assessment and service development process. We ensure that each individual is an active participant in the set-up of their service and all those who are closely involved are fully consulted.
Find out more about accessing our services here.
Self-Directed Support
The Scottish Government believes everyone should be in control of their life. Some people require support to lead an independent life and advocacy to be empowered to make important decisions about their life.
In order to achieve this, the Scottish Government introduced The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013. The Act came into force on 01 April 2014 and places a duty on local authority social work departments to offer people who are eligible for social care, a range of choices over how they receive their social care and support.
Under this act there are four options that supported individuals can choose from:
Option 1) Direct Payment – the individual receives a budget which they can arrange to spend on support through employing care staff or buying services from a service provider.
Option 2) The individual chooses the support which best suits their needs and payment is made through the local authority or third party.
Option 3) The individual asks the local authority to decide how their budget should be spent best to meet their needs.
Option 4) The individual can choose a mixture of options 1, 2 and 3.
You can find out more about self-directed support on the dedicated government website www.selfdirectedsupportscotland.org.uk
Types of Commissioning
Scottish Autism is happy to consider a variety of funding options and contracts with local authorities. We recognise that each local authority will operate in a different way and we are flexible in our approach. We always ensure that the supported individual is at the heart of any decision making and that they are involved in the service they receive. Where required we will create an accessible version of an agreement that clearly outlines the service being commissioned and an individual’s rights.
There are a number of ways that Scottish Autism’s services are commissioned. It is important to remember that no matter how the service is commissioned, self-directed support ensures that the supported individual has control over how they receive their support.
Spot Purchase Contract
An individualised agreement between the funder, the service provider and the supported person.
Block Contract
An agreement between a local authority and a service provider to fund support for a number of individuals. The service to be provided is specified and there are a specified number of hours but these can be shared in different ways across a number of individuals.
Framework Agreement
A local authority can set up their own framework, which is effectively a list of approved service providers who have provided vetting and pricing information, valid for 1-5 years. These providers agree to abide by set terms and conditions for each individual service. Scottish Autism features on several of these frameworks and can be called upon to provide services as need arises.
Scotland Excel Framework
Scotland Excel is a national organisation who have set up several frameworks to allow any and all local authorities to procure services without undertaking their own procurement exercises. Some of Scottish Autism’s services can be commissioned through this framework under ‘Adult Care Homes’ and ‘Children’s Education and Residential’.
To find out more about how to commission our services or if you have any questions please contact Louise Moth, Contracts and Commissioning Officer at Louise.Moth@scottishautism.org