A Personal Budget is an amount of money identified by the Council to deliver provision set out in an EHCP where the parent or young person is involved in securing that provision. Personal budgets are optional for the child’s parent or the young person, but Councils are under a duty to prepare a budget when requested.
Many children and young people will not require a Personal Budget to deliver their education provision in Section F of their EHCP, as this will be delivered by their school or education setting.
Personal Budgets should reflect the holistic nature of an EHC plan and can include funding for special educational, health and social care provision. They should be focused to secure the provision agreed in the EHC plan and should be designed to secure the outcomes specified in the EHC plan.
If a personal budget is requested and agreed, the EHCP will clearly identify in Sections F and J:
- the provision being funded by a Personal Budget
- the outcomes the Personal Budget is supporting
- the management of the Personal Budget (Council or parent/carer)
Managing a personal budget
There are 4 ways to manage a Personal Budget:
- Direct payments: Parents/carers receive funding to secure and manage services themselves.
- Council managed: The Council maintains the budget and secures and manages services directly.
- Third party arrangement: funds are paid to and managed by an individual or organisation on behalf of the child’s parent or the young person.
- A combination of the above.
Decision making for personal budgets
If your request for a personal budget isn’t agreed, the Council must write to you and include:
- their decision
- the reasons for their decision
- your right to request a review of the decision
The Council must carry out a review of the decision if asked and let you know the outcome of the review, including your right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal.