'Trailblazer' councils named

Author: Local Government Chronicle - Feb 25, 2010

Eight authorities - or groups of councils - have been named to take part in the next stage of personalised budgets for disabled people.

The ‘trailblazer’ areas will be testing the Right To Control initiative which aims to give disabled adults more choice and control over the state funding they receive.

The areas named by Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People, are:

* Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Sheffield City Council (joint)

* Essex County Council

* Greater Manchester - incorporating Manchester City Council, Oldham Council, Bury Council, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council and Trafford Council

* Leicester City Council

* London Borough of Barnet

* London Borough of Newham

* Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, and

* Surrey County Council (two Districts Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, and Reigate and Banstead Borough Council)

Mr Shaw said: "Disabled people are the experts in their own lives and that is why, through the Right to Control, we have worked with them to give people more control over the funding they receive and the services they use.

"Jobcentre Plus will be working closely with the local authorities in the Trailblazer areas to help to deliver this greater independence that disabled people tell me they want."

Baroness Jane Campbell, chair of the Right to Control Advisory Group, and part of the selection panel, said: "The Right to Control will give disabled people real control of their lives, and not just mean we have to make do with the services that are available.

"For the first time disabled people will be able to design their support and who delivers it from beginning to end. I’m very excited about working with the chosen Trailblazer areas to make choice for disabled people a reality.

Each of the local authorities will have to work with disabled people to develop individual support plans and each plan will make effective use of all the funding available to an individual, to meet their goals.

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