Personal budgets: micro enterprises

What is the video about?

This film focuses on the work of micro-providers in Nottingham and demonstrates how their approach can be very flexible, creative and responsive to individual needs and preferences, enabling a move away from traditional services. It looks at three new types of enterprise.

Break Barriers is a micro-provider service set up by a home care manager who saw the limitations of that business model for delivering personalised support. The service provides tailored PA support and short breaks. A user and carer talk about the difference the support from Break Barriers has made to their lives, while the founder talks about the challenges and rewards of starting up a new business. She believes budget holders get better value for money and improved outcomes.

Shared Lives Plus is a members’ organisation to support very small providers. The film introduces their work and staff discuss the importance of providing support for business start up and sharing learning.

Finally, Space Inclusive is introduced as an alternative to day centres, set up by two former special educational needs teachers. It provides opportunities for young people with learning disabilities to determine their own day activities, including learning to live independently, life skills and skills for employment.

Messages for practice

  1. Micro providers are important for ensuring people who use personal budgets and direct payments have genuine choice and control over their care and support.
  2. Micro providers have the potential to give value for money and improve user and carer outcomes.
  3. Micro provider businesses can be challenging to start up so members’ organisations offering  business support and advice play an important role.

Who will find this useful?

Commissioners; service users and carers; user led organisations; service providers in all sectors; frontline staff supporting adults (including older people) with self-directed support planning and personal budgets (i.e. social workers, community psychiatric nurses, OTs etc)