Department of Health

Website of the Department of Health

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Key publications

  • Last modified date:
    17 March 2008

Core guidance and Regulations

Direct payments guidance: community care, services for carers and children's services (direct payments) guidance England 2003

Published: 23 September 2003

The aim of this guidance is to assist local councils in making direct payments. Together with the Annexes, it also provides guidance on how local councils might manage and administer direct payments.

A guide to receiving direct payments from your local council : a route to independent living

Published: 17 March 2008

This guide offers advice to people who are thinking about or who are already getting direct payments from their local council social services department.

Direct payments solution set

Published: 21 May 2007

The direct payments solution set is a way of sharing ‘what works’ from those with experience and building on this to promote and provide direct payments. The content reflects themes in the self-assessment guide, which was designed to encompass services for all. An additional set has been added, promoting equal access, to highlight specific issues for groups that find it difficult to access services.

Independence, choice and risk: a guide to best practice in supported decision making

Published: 25 May 2007

This best practice guide is for the use of everyone involved in supporting adults (18 and over) using health and social care within any setting, whether community or residential, in the public, independent or voluntary sectors. This includes all NHS staff working in multi-disciplinary or joint teams.

Direct payments uptake project: an easy words leaflet

Published: 22 March 2007

This guide is to help people with direct payments work with councils to make sure more people get direct payments.

Banking problems: letter from the Secretary of State to the British Banking Association

Published: 16 January 2007

The Department of Health has received a number of queries concerning difficulties individuals face with banks in respect of direct payments. A number of these concerns were raised directly with the Secretary of State for Health who wrote to the British Bankers Association (BBA).

Increasing the uptake of direct payments

Published: 21 December 2006

'Our health, our care, our say' identifies direct payments as key to personalised services. The Department of Health and the Care Services Improvement Partnership have published this guide to help councils and their partners identify solutions to the process, policy and procedural issues as part of the programme to increase uptake of direct payments.

Direct payments for people with mental health problems: A guide to action

Published: 1 February 2006

This guide sets out good practice in relation to making direct payments more accessible to people with mental health problems with the view to ensuring that direct payments become a standard option within mental health services.

Standard letter to help direct payment recipients open bank accounts

Published: August 2005

Councils can adapt this letter to their own local needs, and send it to act as proof of capacity and/or address for the bank.

New help for customers opening accounts for mentally incapacitated people

Published: June 2005

Opening bank accounts for people who are unable to manage their own affairs will be easier following the introduction of new industry guidance for banks and customers by the British Bankers’ Association.

An easy guide to Direct Payments: giving you the choice and control

Published: October 2004

A guide to Direct Payments aimed at people with learning disabilities.

Direct choices – what councils need to make direct payments happen for people with learning disabilities

Published: 28 April 2004

This publication was developed by Values into Action on behalf of the Department of Health for local authorities. It provides help and advice on encouraging and supporting people with learning disabilities to take up direct payments through best practice examples.

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