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Joining up government by integrating funding streams? The experiences of the Individual Budget pilot projects for older and disabled people in England

Moran, Nicola, Glendinning, Caroline, Stevens, Martin, Manthorpe, Jill, Jacobs, Sally, Wilberforce, Mark, Knapp, Martin R J., Challis, David J., Fernández, José-Luis, Jones, Karen C., and others. (2011) Joining up government by integrating funding streams? The experiences of the Individual Budget pilot projects for older and disabled people in England. International Journal of Public Administration, 34 (4). pp. 232-243. ISSN 0190-0692. (doi:10.1080/01900692.2010.540701) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:32438)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2010.540701

Abstract

Individual Budgets (IBs) were piloted in 13 English local authorities during 2005-2007. Similar to personal budgets and 'cash-for-care' schemes in other parts of Europe and beyond, IBs built upon previous English government initiatives to increase choice and control by users of adult social care services. A key aim of the IB pilots was to bring together resources from different funding streams to which an individual was entitled, and integrate or align those funding streams, thereby reducing the number of assessments and reviews, then allow those resources to be spent flexibly according to individual wishes and needs. IBs, available only to those eligible for adult social care services and support, could include resources from up to five other funding streams which, among them, were the responsibility of three different government departments: Access to Work, Disabled Facilities Grants, Integrated Community Equipment Services, Independent Living Funds, and Supporting People. Qualitative interviews with IB lead officers and funding stream lead officers formed part of the larger evaluation of the IB pilots (IBSEN study) and revealed deep disappointment that only minimal progress with integration had been possible, with the exception of Supporting People. This article explores possible reasons for the failure to integrate funding streams despite strong aspirations at local and national levels: legislative barriers, continuing accountability to individual funding streams, concerns over destabilizing the market, and concerns over the budgetary implications of an expected increase in demand.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1080/01900692.2010.540701
Uncontrolled keywords: individual budgets, cash-for-care, funding streams, joined-up government
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research > Personal Social Services Research Unit
Depositing User: Jane Dennett
Date Deposited: 13 Dec 2012 16:27 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:10 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/32438 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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