Worth their weighting - The Guardian 21st November 2007

Direct payments allow individuals to purchase the services they require. But are they willing to pay the high price care deserves? The government is understandably keen to "personalise" or "individualise" care services by providing people with flexible packages of care tailored to their needs. Local authorities are encouraged to give people needing support money through direct payments (DPs) to allow them to purchase the support they want and to use who they want. This is part of a trend in services collectively called "self-directed support" (SDS), by which individuals are enabled to be in control of the services they receive. With appropriate support, everyone using services can benefit from this approach.

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