If your child is under 18 and in receipt of continuing care, or over 18 and is eligible for Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding, they can access a personal health budget (PHB). This enables you to manage and control how they receive their care and support.
Young people under 25 who don’t have continuing care or CHC funding, but have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), can also access a PHB.
Those who are under 25 with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) can also access a PHB if there is a gap in the services they are receiving, because their needs are outside of what can be commissioned by the CCG.
How can a personal health budget be organised for children and young people?
Find out more from the information further down on this page. You can also find useful leaflets in various formats available to download by clicking the link below.
There are six basic steps to their personal health budget:
- Get clear information
Start by talking to the NHS team who currently looks after the child or young person to find out whether they would be able to access a PHB. This might be a care manager, nurse or your GP, who can tell you how personal health budgets work for children and young people who are eligible. You can also contact the Personal Health Budget Support Service if you have any more questions or need support. - Understand your health and wellbeing needs
If you can access a PHB, the care manager or nurse will discuss with you how the personal health budget may work. An important part of setting a personal health budget is agreeing how the care you receive will benefit the health of the child or young person. This will include understanding their health and wellbeing needs and how these needs can be met. - Work out the amount of money that may be available
Our CCG nurse assessor, in conjunction with the lead professional in the community, and our PHB support service can work out the amount that is available. The amount of money will be based on the health and wellbeing needs of the child or young person and what a conventional package of care would look like. Have a chat with their care manager, nurse or GP if you have any concerns. Or contact the Personal Health Budget Support Service if you have any more questions or need more support. - Make a personalised care and support plan
If you choose to access a personal health budget for the child or young person, you will need to have a personalised support plan. This is developed by you, the lead professional within the community and our CCG NHS funded healthcare team nurse assessor. Together you will design a plan that meets their needs and meets NHS funding rules. You can get support from the Personal Health Budget Support Service throughout this process. - Organise care and support
As soon as the support plan has been approved the personal health budget will need to be activated - this can be organised in a few different ways:
- Notional personal health budget– this means our CCG nurse assessor will buy the services you need directly from the service provider (for example, a care agency)
- Third party personal health budget– this means the money is passed on to an independent person or organisation for the child or young person, who then organises their care (as described in your support plan)
- Direct payment– this means we pass on the money directly to a young person aged 18-25, or to a parent or guardian of a child aged under 18, to organise their care (as described in their support plan)
You can choose one or a combination of the options above.
Support is available to help you consider these options. If you choose to manage the PHB and act as the employer, you may want support with employment responsibilities (such as setting up banks accounts and payroll administration). Please see below for the contact details of the Personal Health Budget Support Service and other local organisations who can provide support.
- Make sure the money is working for you
Your nurse assessor is responsible for making sure the help and support you are receiving is meeting the needs of the child or young person. As their needs change, so might their personal health budget, to make sure it is giving them the most appropriate support. Eligibility for continuing health care and continuing care funding is also reviewed regularly.
Where can I find out more information?
If you want to know more or you have any questions about personal health budgets for a child or young person, you should contact their lead health professional – their care manager, nurse or GP. You can also contact the Personal Health Budget Support Service.
We have also approved a local policy that sets out the principles of how it will implement the delivery of personal health budgets across Sefton. You will find a copy in our policies library.
You can also contact the following local voluntary sector organisations who provide information and support to people with personal health budgets:
