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Can individual budgets have an impact on carers and the caring role?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 October 2012

K. JONES ,
A. NETTEN ,
P. RABIEE ,
C. GLENDINNING ,
H. ARKSEY  and
N. MORAN
K. JONES*
Affiliation:
Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
A. NETTEN
Affiliation:
Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
P. RABIEE
Affiliation:
Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, York, UK.
C. GLENDINNING
Affiliation:
Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, York, UK.
H. ARKSEY
Affiliation:
Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, York, UK.
N. MORAN
Affiliation:
Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, York, UK.
*
Address for correspondence: Karen Jones, Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent, Cornwallis Building, Canterbury CT2 7NF, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The introduction of cash-for-care schemes such as individual or personal budgets in England has been seen as central to the personalisation agenda for reforming the delivery of adult social care. However, despite there being 5.2 million carers in England and Wales, the initiative concentrates predominantly on the needs of the service user. The implementation of individual budgets (IBs) was piloted within 13 local authorities during 2005–2007 and the Department of Health commissioned an independent evaluation of this pilot (IBSEN). The focus was only on the service user in the evaluation and therefore a separate but linked study was set up to evaluate the impact and outcomes of IBs on carers. Carers of service users who had consented to take part in the main IBSEN study were identified and invited to participate in a follow-up study aimed at exploring how IBs impacted on carers and the caring role. The study found that the receipt of the budget was significantly associated with positive impacts on carers' reported quality of life and, when other factors were taken into account, with social care outcomes. These outcome gains were achieved despite no higher costs being incurred to the public purse, thus suggesting that IBs for service users are cost-effective for carers.

Keywords

individual budgetspersonalisationcarers
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 34 , Issue 1 , January 2014 , pp. 157 - 175
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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