AQW 43651/11-15

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 12/03/2015
Answered On Date: 19/03/2015
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for his assessment of the process by which Health and Social Care Trusts administer direct payments to (i) disabled people aged 16 or over; (ii) carers; (iii) people with parental responsibility for a child with a disability; and (iv) 16 and 17 year old children with disabilities.

Answer:

The Carers and Direct Payments Act (N.I) 2002 gives Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts the power to make direct payments. Subsequently, my Department issued guidance to HSC Trusts to aid in the interpretation of this legislation, in addition to clearly detailing the accounting and monitoring arrangements in the administration of direct payments. This guidance applies to all client groups and can be accessed via the attached links:

http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/direct_payments_legislation_and_guidance_for_boards_and_trusts.pdf http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/eccu3-09.pdf.

In addition, Departmental guidance on the administration of Direct Payments for persons who lack capacity to consent has also been issued to the HSC Board and HSC Trusts and can be accessed via the following link: http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/eccu-1-2012-circular-direct-payments-lack-capacity-to-consent.

All Direct Payment guidance has been developed to ensure clear governance structures are in place for both individual clients and HSC staff. I expect HSC Trusts to keep the administration of Direct Payments under review in order to ensure systems maintain a person-centred focus, whilst retaining the assurances needed for the responsible use of public money.