Making Direct Payments a Choice: A report on the research findings

Abstract

We describe research done in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets under the supervision of the local Coalition of Disabled People. It involved three different client groups-people with learning difficulties, mental health service users and those with physical disabilities. Few of these service users, their carers and staff had any experience or knowledge of people with disabilities receiving cash to purchase their own support. The study focused on several issues: how to provide effective information; what sorts of support could direct payments purchase; how could it be accessed; how could users handle the money; how could it all be evaluated? Most carers, staff and users considered this radical idea favourably, but were suspicious of their own local authority and would want independent systems of supervision and monitoring, accountable to other users, rather than professionals.