Scottish Care at Home

Self Directed Support

SDS new website www.selfdirectedsupportscotland.org.uk is now online.

Meeting the needs of the whole person

Self Directed Support can buy support for a person to live in their own home, such as having a bath or getting washed and dressed. Out of the home it could be to support an individual in college, or to enjoy leisure pursuits more. It may also be used to pay for someone to provide care and support to enable them to take a short break with the person.

A person on self-directed support can buy this from a service provider such as a care provider  or voluntary organisation, a local authority such as their own or a neighbouring one, or by employing personal assistants (PAs).

In summary, it is an opportunity to meet the assessed needs of the whole person in creative and flexible ways.

Self-directed Directed Support (SDS) in Scotland is part of the mainstream of social care delivery, targeted at empowering people.

A healthier nation
Self-Directed Support is part of creating a healthier nation with stronger and safer communities and is key to achieving a fairer and wealthier Scotland. It puts the principles of independent living into practice and enables people to be active citizens in their communities.

Like the social model of disability, it is about reducing or removing the physical, organisational or attitudinal barriers that people may experience in the world around them.

Flexibility, choice and control
Self-Directed Support is about flexibility, choice and control and having a decent quality of life. It is ultimately about promoting confidence and wellbeing for those with an assessed need.

Self Directed Support builds on the platform provided by direct payments legislation and the rights enshrined in the Disability Discrimination Act (Scotland) 2003. It is used instead of, or in addition to, support services that the local authority might otherwise have provided.