The TLAP Jargon Buster defines Individual Service Funds in the following way:
“If you want to use your personal budget from the council to pay for support (such as home care) from a particular provider, the money can be held by that provider in an Individual Service Fund. You remain in control of what the money is spent on, but you don’t have the responsibility of managing the budget yourself”.
The allocation of Individual Service Funds (ISF) is seen as an important route to personalising home care since they offer the greatest level of choice within a commissioned service. This is relevant because direct payments have been traditionally acknowledged as offering such benefits.
Partner organisation Housing and Support Alliance (HSA) are working with us to provide a set of recommendations and guidance for providers and commissioners to extend their use.
As part of this work they have produced a survey to find out about how Individual Service Funds (ISF) are thought of and used, by service providers, commissioners and disabled people and families. The information gathered will be used to determine a series of workshops designed to inform and educate disabled people & families, providers and commissioners about ISFs.
